Geometry of Errors
by diana2megr
Summary: Anzu-centered fic. Yugi, Kaiba, Joey, Ryou, Mai, Tristan and Serenity were thought dead in a tragic explosion. 3 years later, Mokuba and Tea had moved on. COMPLETED. Oh brave new world! Is it not?
1. Flash once

A Yu-gi-oh fanfic by d2m (diana2megr@yahoo.com)

Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction! Neither ownership of yu-gi-oh nor canonship of this fic is claimed. Nuff said.

***

Geometry of Errors

Chapter 1: Flash One

***

Looking out at the placid sea whose serene surface hid such strong currents, the man wondered at the equally mysterious twists and turns that his life had taken. Taking a casual sip of his beloved red wine, a class that he had especially brewed from his private vineyard in France, he turned a bit to his right as a mournful tone flowed in solemn tribute to a most melancholy night air of reminisced loss and abiding loneliness. As he had expected, a figure stood still before a block of marble in the garden he had made as a memorial. The sylph was impassive to the cold night breeze blowing gently the loose folds of the softest white silk as delicate as a spider's web and the myriad locks of equally fine strands. From her originated an unearthly melody, which soared, unencumbered to the darkened heavens through the wings of the night's fickle wind. 

The empty socket of his left eye burned in spectral pain of an organ parted with long years past for the sake of a loss love. A vision of a great beauty with long locks of finely spun gold passed through his mind before another invaded his thoughts as it had been prone to do recently. Slowly, he closed his eyes in pain of remembrance. It had been long after that, the coming of this lost seraph.

"It all started or is the more appropriate term, ended, about three years ago from this night?" He murmured pensively to the mirror image of the earth's silent companion, an orb of light shining bright in the midst of the dark night. With a slight flicker, the perfect spherical phantasm in the viscous scarlet fluid held in the crystal clear glass vanished in a swirl of wine.

***

Three years ago…

A small private plane soared serenely through the virtually clear skies of a bright summer's day. The emblem of Kaiba Corporation shimmered across its metallic surface, a clear exhibition of its ownership embossed in its vast canvass of glistening white steel. 

Meanwhile within the private corporation jet, much to its owner's annoyance, all was not as serene as the beautiful day boded to the mortals residing within the third planet of the solar system.

"Noise. Nothing but noise." He mockingly taunted at his predicament. But his barbs were per usual subtly directed to a certain "mutt."

"What does that mean, you arrogant…" The rest of Joey Wheeler's words were easily phased out of the thoughts of the genius teenager. After all, the blond idiot was the main source of the discordant sounds his ears were being subjected to courtesy of the raucous party that was Yugi Motou and his circle of friends. Currently, the shrimp with the astounding gravity defying hairstyle was ridiculously trying to calm down his hotheaded friend. Fortunately, Tristan Taylor was easily able to hold back Joey with the much tried and tested method of bumping the back of the blonde's hard head. An even louder oral argument of no intellectual worth ensued along with the traditional already, scuffle between the two with Yugi playing the tired role of peacemaker.

"_Oniichan_…" A gentle voice chimed in the midst of the ruckus in the mildest of reprimand.

A voluptuous blonde woman laughed at this. Casually tossing over her shoulder a stray golden lock to reveal derisive violet orbs. Blandly placing a hand on the younger girl's shoulder, Mai Valentine made her scathing taunts. "Serenity dear, I don't think Joey here could ever be not in trouble. He's the plague of idiocy we all have to bear with, unfortunately."

"What did you say?! I won't stand for this!" Joey's face was red with mixed anger and annoyance.

"Well, by all means then, sit, boy!" Seto smoothly ordered the other boy. Aggravating the mutt, Joey Wheeler, was his cup of tea. He smirked smugly.

"Kaiba!" Joey yelled as he rushed towards the stuck up teenager.

"Oh will you just stuff it, Joey?" An irritated voice piped up from the window seat. Her easygoing chat with a usually as easygoing a chap, unless his _yami_ suddenly pops up that is, disrupted by the strident strings of a certain blonde's vocal cords. 

The white-haired boy raised his hand in a peaceful gesture. "Now, now."

An irked Tea Gardner turned around to face Ryou Bakura. "You!" Poking a finger into the surprised boy's chest she backed him to a corner, figuratively as she was the one in the window seat! "Will you stop doing that! I… Eeek!" The brunette shouted as Mokuba Kaiba suddenly popped up like some form of demented mushroom.

The boy with the wild mane of long black hair laughed his head off. "You should relax, Tea-_neechan_. You don't want your blood pressure to go off the roof, _ne_?" Mokuba merrily asked the young woman he had grown fond off during the events in Battle City. Giving in to his impulses, he surprised everyone by suddenly wrapping his arms around her neck. An impish smile covered his angelic face.

Meanwhile the older Kaiba who had been previously enjoying the show presented by Yugi and his merry band of misfits was even more shocked than anyone else in the cabin of his sibling's antics. "What the…?" He mockingly let his head drop to his open hand in resignation. His poor younger had been contaminated. He should have isolated him from the mutt, alright…

"Whoa, kids start out real young these days, nah?" Tristan piped laughingly from behind Joey who started guffawing crazily. Soon both teens were rolling on the floor, tears falling from their eyes.

"See that, Yuge? Even the kid has more guts than you!" Joey managed to choke out in between laughs.

Yugi ducked his head as a telltale flush of pink crossed across his confused face. "I… I…" Whatever words he was about to mumble as well as whatever action the elder Kaiba was about to pull were all lost as a sudden explosion in the jet's right wing knocked everyone standing off their feet. 

After the explosion, a babble of alarms and voices ensued. As the shaken youths tried to stand in the suddenly unstable environment, Yami's voice rang out with a commanding tone. "Everyone, calm down!" Everyone, even the usually cool teenager CEO of Kaiba Corp., turned to look at the abrupt autocratic presence. "Kaiba!" The name was called out as an order. Fiery violet eyes met frosty blue.

Seto Kaiba shook his head. A calm composed mask plastered across his face. "Everyone put on a parachute. There's one for each of us in the panel above the window seats. I'll go see what I can do in the bridge." He announced before abruptly turning towards his destination. Before he could take another step however, another explosion rocked the entire plane. The crack in the windowpane formed from the force of the explosion earlier gave way under the sheer air pressure. The collected look on his face fell when the windowpane collapsed right where Mokuba was standing near Tea. 

A symphony of worried voices called out.

"MOKUBA!" 

"TEA!" 

Thus, the drama unfolded. The shattering of the glass broke not only the window, but also the balance of air pressure. The wind acted like a vacuum pulling the kid abruptly and arduously towards the broken pane. Tea reacted quickly. Swiftly reaching out, she grabbed the younger boy before he collided forcefully against the wall. 

"Mokuba!" Seto Kaiba called out, worry and fear evident in his face.

"_Nii-chan_!" Mokuba replied shakily.

The older Kaiba quickly made his way towards the girl holding his sibling instead.

"It's alright. We're both fine. Just get into those parachutes!" Tea entreated to the rest of the youth who were trying to get to them in the midst of this chaotic situation. The smell of burning circuitry filled the room even as the smoke was sucked out of the breached cabin. The younger Kaiba whimpered against the folds of Tea's clothes, while the elder could only look in shock as what he played out. 

Time seemed to slow down as the stressed steel gave way. This time both Tea and Mokuba were dragged to the precipitous hole made of jagged steel. Tea stretched out her hand to grab a hold of anything which can keep both her and the child she was holding inside the plane. As she wildly grasped about in thin hair, another hand firmly took hers.

Tea gasped as she looked up to see her savior's face. Scarlet tinged purple met bright azure in an instant. "Yami…"

"Mokuba!" Seto shouted as he reached for his brother. 

"Yami!" Everyone else sighed with relief after being thunder stricken by the quick turn of events. If the King of Games were here, then their chances had just immensely rocketed upwards. That is what they though only as this time, however, the greatest explosion yet, tumbled Yami down, too. The rest could only look with shock as Tea and Mokuba fell out of the exploding plane.

Seto cried out in disbelief as he missed to grabbed his brother a mere inches away before gravity took over. "Mokuba!" The older sibling cried out in agony as he failed to save to his beloved younger brother. His usually cold blue eyes were grief stricken as he took in the sight of Tea moving about in free fall so that Mokuba would be shielded when they hit the ocean below. "Tea…" he murmured as Yami fervently shouted out to the quickly speeding blue sky as the plane continued its wild descent towards the vast blue oceanscape. 

"TEA!" Tears fell from the unknown pharaoh's eyes as he watched the impending doom of his partner's childhood friend and his friend, too. He could feel his partner's horror and pain as he beheld Tea's fall… His own anguish overwhelmed him as a vision of another azure-eyed girl came to his mind.

"Teana!" It was the name of a certain Pharaoh Bel Um Fal's childhood friend. 

***

Millennia ago…

"Teana! Teana, wake up! I have exciting news, Teana!" An animated kid was energetically shaking the now rousing girl.

"What? Who?" She asked with a big yawn. Sleepily rubbing sand from her eyes, she woke up to see wide violet orbs. 

"Belumfal!" The girl cried out so surprised that she incoherently mumbled the name of the Prince of Egypt into a mouthful.

"Teh-Ah-Nah!" Bel Um Fal mockingly drawled. "Well, awake yet?"

"Bel Um Fal!" The girl hissed in a low voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to do you a favor, Teana!" Mischief lurked not so subtly in the young prince's violet eyes.

"It's too early for this kind of stuff." The girl groaned softly as a part of her wondered randomly what trouble her best friend was going to get her wrapped up in this time. 

"Come on, I want to get there before Simon finds me again." The boy tugged at the girl's bed sheets. 

"I should have know." Another sigh came from the girl. "Ugh, I'm up already. Wait a minute, okay?"

"Just hurry up. I'll wait for you outside but you better not take too long or I'll drag you out!" The prince playfully warned the other child who was stretching her limbs.

"Alright already!" The girl muttered in exasperation. "Can't a girl have a break?" She asked rhetorically.

"Hurry up!" The prince hollered impressively as he ran out of her room.

"Yeah, yeah!" The girl mumbled to herself as she washed her hands and face before changing into her street clothes knowing that it was going to another long day of hiding from Simon, the prince's tutor, with a very high probability of dirt and sweat. Probability? Nope, better make that inevitability!

Her prediction came true as Teana and Bel Um Fal spent the day running around the palace, hiding inside huge pots and vases, in addition to sneaking off for a dip in the Nile River. By the end of the day, Teana was tired, hungry and grubby as well.

The young prince smiled cheekily at the girl as he waved goodbye. "See you tomorrow, Teana!"

Teana wearily but happily waved back. "Until the next time, Bel!" The girl waved until the mischievous boy disappeared from sight. Stretching her arms over her head, Teana merrily whirled around in a pirouette when a firm hand arrested her graceful turn. Bewilderedly, the world ceased its rotation around her and formed into a face that she knew well. "Seto!"

Dark sandy locks framed the boy's prominent cheekbones. Cool sapphire blue eyes pierced her with its intensity. "And just where have you been all day?" The other child inquired. Curiosity was dancing a merry jig along with various theories across his expressive face. The boy ruefully shook his head. "You went swimming with the prince again." It wasn't a question at all. He continued his tirade. "You owe me, Teana. I've been covering up for you all day." Seto stated in annoyance, his arms crossed before his chest. "You know you shouldn't be blowing off your lessons just to run around like some common street mutt."

"I know, I know." Teana cut him off. She knew this boy quite well. It's time to take out the ultra super infallible technique, the puppy eyes! "And I'm really sorry for bothering you too."

Seto wavered. Teana knows his weaknesses all too well. "I'm not doing this again tomorrow. You really should.." He faltered mid-sermon as she pulled out the pouting lips to go along with the wide watery eyes knack. He cursed in his mind as he didn't want to corrupt the other child's language. "That's not fair. You know I can't stand it when you do that!" He sighed in defeat.

Teana smirked but devotion shone in her eyes. "I know, that's why I do it." She chuckled before hugging the surprised boy. "Thanks, Seto. You really are the best!" She crawled in delight. Humming, she linked her arms with the other child. "So what did I miss?"

Seto wearily ran a hand through his sandy brown hair. "I don't know why I put up with this." He complained to his merry companion.

The girl just laughed. "Coz you love me, silly!" She exclaimed while playfully bumping his arm.

The boy rolled his eyes at her antics but he did continue his rant of the day or should I say their tutor's ramblings. It was life as usual for the two.

***

A few years after…

Hatred burned in the usually frosty gaze of the High Priest. In his arms limply lay a girl with long silken brown locks. The azure depths of her eyes would never be seen again. The stillness of her body demonstrated this. "Why her of all people?" He hissed maliciously to the uncaring heavens. "How could you?" His voice dripped with spite as he ceased his doleful march to the temple to condemn the man he once loved like a brother. "Why her? How could you?!" He demanded of the cruel skies, envisioning his pharaoh. "Have I not served you faithfully? Even if not for me, then why not simply because she's your lover? Had she not given you her utmost devotion? Hadn't her loving you with her entire heart enough? She gave everything that she is to you, and you! You still had the gall to do this?! Haven't you taken enough? You greedy, selfish bastard!" He spat out bitterly at the man who destroyed his own paramour. Tears streaked down his face to fell like mild rain on her composed, in death, face.

Gently, he set her down on the smooth cold white surface. "Teana…" He murmured brokenly as her body shimmered for a moment. The huge stone block glimmered with the same white light which grew stronger and stronger until he could no longer bear to look upon its brightness. When the brilliance vanished, a blue eyes, white dragon was embossed in the tablet. "Why you?" Disbelief warred with sorrow in his voice as his usually calm façade disappeared the moment he saw her still body.

His face twisted in hatred. "_Urusenai!_ _Urusenai!! Urusenai!!!_" He howled to the unresponsive heavens. "I will never forgive you , Bel Um Fal!"

***

__

Tsuzuku…


	2. Flash twice

A Yu-gi-oh fanfic by d2m (diana2megr@yahoo.com)

Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction! Neither ownership of yu-gi-oh nor canonship of this fic is claimed. Nuff said.

***

Geometry of Errors

Chapter 2: Flash Twice

***

Tea saw the blue rushing forward. "Mokuba!" She cried out anxiously. She saw a pair of midnight blue eyes wide with fear. Without another thought, she grasped the boy close to her while maneuvering around so that her body would shield the other when they hit the surface. It was a desperate gesture, a last ditch attempt to save the younger child. It was also the reason why she saw so clearly the explosion. Time slowly wound down as a flash of bright light nearly blinded the teenager. She saw the fire, the smoke and the various falling jagged parts. She heard the loud sound signifying the quick combustion and the catastrophic resolution. One thought echoed through her mind endlessly before darkness finally enveloped her in its numbing nothingness. All her friends are dead. 

Tea Gardner and Mokuba Kaiba fell into the cold embrace of the deep blue sea. White foam formed from their vicious crash unto its calm surface. Slowly, two bodies began its journey into a watery graveyard. Too soon, the waves erased the bubbles that marked their presence.

***

White. A field of white. It was all that he could see until he finally heard a strangely familiar voice. 

"It is time." 

"Time?" The puzzled boy asked the disembodied voice. Large violet eyes wide with fear dominated an angelic face. "I'm so confused. What's going on?" No sooner had he spoken that he had to clutch his head in pain at the sudden explosion of colors in his mind as he relived memories even further back than he had wanted to recall. Yugi Mutou had begun to remember. 

And it wasn't even about his life in Domino City. 

But neither was he alone at this…

"It is time." 

***

Setting : Egypt

"It is time." The high priest declared solemnly. His face an impassive mask but for icy blue eyes which burned with the depths of his sheer hatred and revulsion for the man before him. The moment that he had been waiting for had finally come. 

The sharp blade of truth cut the young pharaoh deeply. The sudden vicious denunciations of his closest adviser cruelly whittling further his already sorely wounded heart. "No!" He whispered in terror of reality's forceful revelation. "Why is this happening?" He cried out. The anguish in his voice was not recognized however as the young priest was choking in his own pit of bitterness.

"It's time and past it that you paid for your crimes, oh mighty pharaoh!" The high priest cruelly mocked the supreme lord of the land, the pharaoh that he had served faithfully for years. Everything that he did was for the sake of this man who had crushed him the moment that he had destroyed she that had unknowingly held his heart in her thrall. He smirked. Of course, he never told her. She thought that the only affection he had for her was a mere SIBLING love. She never knew of the subtle change of his feelings as the years had passed. But then he to realized too late what his heart had been trying to beat into his stubborn mind. He only understood when he saw her return the pharaoh's affections. Out of love for his precious sister, he set aside his own feelings when he perceived this. Which was why the moment he saw her limp body on the ground, the shadow within was roused violently. His frozen heart shattered into a million pieces and darkness enveloped his soul. 

Forgetting all else, the only thing that he lived for now was revenge.

"I didn't kill her." The pharaoh coldly stated. His face was that of a marble statue of the unaffected, which was confuted by the wealth of emotions shimmering in his violet eyes, as he readied for the fateful duel between him and his high priest.

It was the moment of destiny; the time when the closest of friends became the worst of enemies, as the death of a common loved one broke the bond between the pharaoh and his priest. Both duelists had a stone tablet of a duel monster behind them. Anger lay in both as they stared across their chosen battlefield of huge tiles of stone. In a loud voice, they proclaimed their precipitous intent.

"IT'S TIME TO DUEL!" 

"I am the instrument of her vengeance. Scream in despair as you face my beloved twin's just retribution." The priest maliciously declared as he displayed the tablet, which received her ka. Eyes glinting with madness, he stretched forth his arm towards his archenemy, his own lord. Crying out in vindication, he called out of the stone the greatest of all dragons. "BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON, come forth! Destroy your most hated enemy, your murderer, Pharaoh Bel um Fal!"

A great roar came forth as the magnificent monster he summoned appeared in all its massive glory. The creature of glacial beauty and incredible power unfolded its enormous wings before the dueling pair. Crowing at its appearance, Seito commanded the monster he summoned. "BURST STREAM!" Immediately, the majestic creature breathed forth a blazing white stream of fire directly at the youth with tri-colored hair.

Bel um Fal defended without delay. He summoned the monster that the faithful priest Mahado, the owner of the Millenium Ring, had enhanced at the cost of his own life. "BLACK MAGICIAN!"

Light versus Dark. A stream of destructive dark energy streaked with violet lightning focused through the magician's staff countered the ray of powerful white heat, which the mighty dragon released. It was a futile gesture as the powerful BEWD easily pushed back the sorcerous counter. A fierce magical battle ensued as both began to harness the powers of the Shadow Realm in this fateful Game of Darkness

Thus, destiny ran its course.

***

Later…

The exhausted pharaoh sank to his knees before his defeated enemy. "Seito, I did not kill Teana. I could never do that!" A tear fell from a bright amethyst orb as the weary lord kneeled beside his dying adviser. "I… I loved her…" The proud ruler uncharacteristically stuttered. His eyes begged for understanding, compassion. Something that Seito could never give to his beloved's murderer.

"Rot… in hell… Bel um… Fal…" The priest gurgled out as thick scarlet fluid dripped from his lips. Hatred burned brightly in the icy blue depths 'til death snuffed out the life of the high priest of the Pharaoh Bel um Fal.

Suddenly, a priestess stepped forth from the depths of the shadowed room. A glint of gold around her neck revealed the Millenium Item that she wore - the Millenium Necklace. ""My pharaoh…" She murmured reverently. Empathy glowed so softly in her knowing eyes as she knelt before the lord she had sworn to protect. 

"Isis." Bel um Fal finally acknowledged the older woman's presence. No tears marred the mask of calmness that the pharaoh donned before his clairvoyant priestess.

She bowed her head in a gesture of respect and in honor of her lord's actions that her millenium item had revealed to her. "My apologies for the intrusion, great pharaoh, but it is time."

Silence encompassed the room such that their soft breathing seemed harsh in this solemn hush. "I see." The lithe young man easily stood up in a single fluid movement.

"You must take this." Her soft-spoken words held a wealth of meaning.

The hidden swirling torrent of emotions which he held back was unveiled for a moment as the young pharaoh beheld the item which his priestess were offering subserviently. It was the Millenium Rod, Seito's Millenium Item. The cold façade returned as swiftly as it has disappeared. Without another word, he grasped the still warm object of power. The gleaming handle retained the body heat of its former master. It was the device that the young priest had harnessed in his attempt to avenge her. Her… He stifled a choked cry. He found that he couldn't even say her name anymore. He walked forward to meet his face impassively. There is no more time for tears and regret. It is time to be the Pharaoh of Egypt.

Isis bowed her head as he thoughtfully took her offering. She followed him to face her fate as well. 

Thus was the destiny of the holders of the Millenium Items.

Sleep never ending…

***

Setting: Duelist Kingdom

"Sleep never ending…" Pegasus J. Crawford set down the glass of red wine he had still to finish. "And where is the Prince destined to awaken this beautiful princess from her sleep never ending?" He mockingly asked the silent moon as the soaring hymn languidly descended to a gentle finale. The sylph-like creature ended its tribute to the melancholy air in the softest of whispers, a mere sigh of a mild night wind.

Another glance at the moonlit garden exposed the disappearance of the ghostly nightingale. The pale rays of light bleached white the picturesque enclosure filled with vibrant blooms and mildly swaying shade of hanging vines and branches of verdant green. The black marble seemingly glimmered with its own light in the dark night. The names engraved in gold glinted in the moonlight.

"AM…" He murmured to the uncaring night. "Ante meridian…" The thought occupying the CEO of Industrial Illusions were far more wispy than the reflected light of Sol and yet infinitely more tangible. A smirk made its way to his aristocratic face. "Thus is the destiny of the holders of the Millenium Items." He left the door leading to the balcony open. The white curtain danced within the tune of the fickle night wind. The graceful twirls reminiscent of a certain dancer's smooth poignant motions.

***

In a last seemingly impossible twist, the lithe figure whirled unto an elegant poise. Wispy white veils floated about, white clouds that softly embraced the dancer's slender form.

"Great practice everyone!" The director shouted to the silenced cast. A pleased smile was pasted on his genial face as he approached the star of the show. "Great work, AM! You were simply stunning. I'm sure this concert would be a big success as long as things go like this!" He jovially chided the young woman who was wiping the sweat off her forehead.

Brushing back blond bangs plastered with moisture, azure eyes met that of her director's. "Thanks, Robbie, but it's really all coz of you guys." AM gracefully motioned to the busy staff hurrying around and about.

"AM-sama," a man in a black suit reverently called to the young woman.

AM smiled apologetically at her director whose attention, obviously, was now solely on the handsome bodyguard. "I'm sorry, Robbie but it seems I have to go." She coughed to hide the giggle that was bubbling forth. Quickly grasping her bodyguard's hand, she hurried towards her dressing room.

He didn't challenge her actions. In fact, he even helped her in their rush to safety… from the other man's sticky gaze, that is.

Muffled laughter came behind the closed door. "I'm sorry, Nick." 

Mumbled hardly audible words followed. 

"I swear, I'm not laughing at your predicament."

More muttered French ensued.

"But…" a teasing quality entered her tone, "aren't you happy to be admired so much?"

He spoke fluent French that a native won't be able to discern.

"AM-sama?" a young boy called out behind the closed door.

"Yes?" AM cheerfully asked. 

It was the bodyguard who opened the door. 

"Mail?" AM queried with a smile.

"Uh… yes, ma'am." The boy dazedly replied.

The bodyguard quietly took the proffered object, muttered an inaudible "thank you" and shut the door on the face of the star-struck messenger.

A cheerful greeting of thanks was heard from behind the closed door.

The messenger boy sighed worshipfully. "She's so…" Another lovesick sigh came from the stunned fan.

"Oh, Nick. I think those are mine." AM rolled her azure eyes on the bodyguard's direction as he efficiently ruffled through the sealed envelopes. "And before you ask again, NO, I'll open them myself." The young woman warned her companion who was about to tear open the first fan mail. She quickly seized the envelopes before her zealous bodyguard could do so.

Taking the letter out of its envelope, she paled at its content. Nick swiftly snatched back the note. Printed on the plain white bond paper was just one short sentence. "Marrying Crawford is a mistake."

"Who?" Her face contorted in confusion.

"Don't be afraid, AM-sama. I'm always with you." Behind the shades, a pair of alert eyes narrowed as he pocketed the fan mail.

"Yes, you're right." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Thank you." A forlorn smile hovered on her face.

The bodyguard escorted his charge to a waiting dusky blue Nissan Cefiro. 

It was time.

***

"It is time."

"…time."

…

Yugi Mutou woke up. "What?" The confused boy muttered to himself as he tried to unscramble his shaken thoughts. Carefully standing up, he saw that he was in a large room with dark gleaming wooden panels. He steadied himself on what turned out to be a post of a huge bed with teal silk covering. He noticed several things at once. First, he was in the most elegant bedroom that he had ever seen in his entire life. Two, several unmoving bodies were scattered all over regally furnished yet somehow spartan room. Three, said bodies were those of his friends! He remembered in an instant. "Tea!" He cried out frantically searching for his childhood friend.

Tristan Taylor groaned. "What happened?" He asked absently the others who were beginning to stir as well when light suddenly flooded the dark room. 

Mai Valentine blinked her expressive and now irritated at the sudden light violet eyes. "What's going on?"

"The last thing I remembered was the plane…" Ryou Bakura trailed off in horror as he remembered the fall of Tea and Mokuba.

"Somebody get the number of that truck?" Joey Wheeler mumbled incoherently.

"Big brother?" Long flowing auburn hair swayed as Serenity Wheeler reached for her disoriented sibling.

"Kaiba!" A worried Yugi was gazing at the tall youth standing beside the light switch. "Tea and Mokuba?!" 

Seto Kaiba shook his head. "I don't know. This is my place, but…" He had switched on the light as soon as he had realized that he was in his room at the Kaiba mansion. His icy blue eyes quickly searched for a mop of wild black hair. Failing to find his brother, he resolutely walked towards the door. "Mokuba…" He muttered under his breath as he proceeded to the next room that was his brother's. The room was empty. His heart ached as the hope he was holding that his sibling was just sleeping in his room was dashed to pieces by reality. Banging a fist against the wall, he turned about towards the computer room.

Exchanging concerned looks, the group followed the self-absorbed teen in hopes of finding their missing friends. They instead found the teen genius staring at an image of an obviously older Mokuba. His mop of black hair had been cut short and his dark blue eyes were the narrower, but his feature was unmistakable. The headline proclaimed him the CEO of Kaiba Corp. He was the successor of Seto Kaiba who had passed away in a tragic accident three years ago…


	3. Flash Thrice

A Yu-gi-oh fanfic by d2m (diana2megr@yahoo.com)

Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction! Neither ownership of yu-gi-oh nor canonship of this fic is claimed. Nuff said.

***

Geometry of Errors

Chapter 3: Flash Thrice

***

                "So why are ya haunting us, Kaiba?" A certain blonde teen nonchalantly asked the out of place new décor of the computer room, a stone statue of a tall youth with sandal brown hair and icy blue eyes.

                "Big brother, I think he's in shock." A girl with long flame colored hair whispered conspiratorially. Sympathy shined within the gentle emerald depths.

                "Shut it, Joey!" A voluptuous blond bitingly sniped. Tossing luxurious golden locks back, she eyed the other blond evilly. "Give him a break. This is shocking to find out…" Mai was cut off by a banging sound. A teen with spiked up brown hair had slammed his hand against a wall. Hard. 

"Just what is going on here, Kaiba?" Tristan shouted abruptly. Confusion, frustration and anger whirled in chocolate pools.

"Tristan, are you alright?" A British-sounding voice full of concern resounded in the hidden high tech room in the Kaiba mansion.

                "We are in the future, aren't we, Kaiba?" A smooth voice calmly stated the question phrased. "I would say three years after our plane exploded." 

                Kaiba blinked after hearing his rival's accurate pronouncement. A collected façade masked the teen's turbulent thoughts and feelings from showing in his face. He wasn't about slip in front of his rival after all. He sadistically chuckled. "Let's see if you can handle this." He then began to monotonously report his appalling findings.

                "It seems that three years had passed in an instant. Yugi Mutou, Mai Valentine, Ryou Bakura, Joey and Serenity Wheeler and I were all declared missing and presumed dead in the plane's explosion. Our bodies were never found so it was assumed to be lost at sea. Tea Gardner, Mokuba…" Seto's cool monotone hitched at this before continuing smoothly. "…and the pilot were fished out by a private yacht, which just happened to be owned by Pegasus J. Crawford." 

                His enrapture audience had more or less the same response. Panicked squeals of  "What?!" and "Pegasus?" erupted at once.

                A smooth dark tone cut through the blabber. "Continue." Yami commanded.

The usually icy blue pools frosted even more at both the next part and Yugi's posturing. "Pegasus took the survivors to recover in his Duelist Kingdom. A month after, he adopted Mokuba, who as my presumptive heir, is the new CEO of Kaiba Corp. He also became Tea's guardian as her parents died in a plane crash on their way to see their grieving daughter." 

Silence filled the room as pictures of the crash was shown at the wide screen.

"Poor Tea." Ryou commented sadly. 

Tears filled Serenity's eyes as the gentle soul mourned a friend's sorrowful experience.

"Tea…" Tristan smacked his hands together in frustration. "Damn it!"

Mai just closed her eyes to send a brief and silent prayer for the girl who had become such a close friend in such a short time.

Inside his soul room, the stricken Yugi could only whisper his childhood friend's name over and over like a broken cd player. Yami tried to comfort his more sensitive "other self."

Kaiba just snorted a snide remark. "That certainly gave Tea more reason to grieve."

"Hey, don't ya be mocking Tea!" The brooding Joey angrily turned on Kaiba.

"I'm mocking fate." Kaiba coolly retorted.

Joey rushed towards the impassive youth screaming, "You coldhearted bastard!" 

An irked Tristan held the excitable blond back. "We need Kaiba to know what's going on, moron!" 

"Cool it, Joey. I want to know what happened to Tea." Mai step forth, violet eyes raging.

"I assure you that I'm a legitimate child of my parents." The unaffected teenage genius offhandedly remarked even as he continued his research. Long fingers flickered swiftly over the console, inputting commands at high speed. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,"

"You can trade insults some other time, Kaiba. What happened?" Yami coldly demanded.

Kaiba ignored his rival. "AS I was saying, Tea became a ward of Pegasus. He launched her career as Japan's latest pop idol, Anzu Mazaki, who's better known to her adoring fans as AM."

The group was silenced again as picture after picture of a Tea with blond bangs and red tipped brown hair flashed through the screen. Screaming fans were chanting her name in a concert. 

"Hey, Yug." A nonplussed Joey reached out to the spaced out Yugi. "I think, she missed you."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "It seems that Pegasus' dramatics is infectious, but it seems to have worked. Her finances aren't that bad." He muttered the last to himself as he glanced at the idol's affluence. 

"Tea must have colored her hair in memory of Yugi." Serenity's green eyes sparkled with the same innocence her honey voice was dripping with.

                "How original." Kaiba blandly stated before turning to the latest news.

***

                It was a live satellite feed of AM steeping out of a midnight blue sports car. A smiling Mokuba was holding his hand out to the idol. 

                On the screen, photographers were snatching picture after picture while video crews surrounded the area. A good-looking brunette was the field agent reporting. "Good evening, Bob! Right now, I'm in front of the Kaiba Corp. Domino City headquarters where pop idol AM is meeting her soon to be stepson, Mokuba Kaiba, the CEO of Kaiba Corp." 

The camera was focused on the tall youth with jet-black hair who was gallantly escorting the waving idol down the red carpet specifically rolled down for this visitor. 

"It has three days to a year since pop idol AM got controversially betrothed to her own guardian during her 17th birthday bash!"

A video of the party was then shown. A man with long silver hair tied back in a ponytail, except for the locks half covering his face, was half-kneeling before the surprised celebrant who shortly raised the man up. Before long, slender tanned fingers slipped a gorgeous sterling silver ring with a huge sapphire heart surrounded by brilliant diamonds on the ring finger of the white glove covered hand of the maiden. The couple was romantically staring at each other in the midst of a stunned mob, which didn't remain silent for long. At the leftmost corner of the screen, Mokuba was singly and proudly applauding the engagement.

"That's 362 days where fans and critics alike had censured and/or cheered for this drawn out year long engagement which will end on her upcoming eighteenth birthday/wedding day. That's one day that the groom certainly should not be able to forget as it's both their wedding day and the bride's birthday!"

Snapshots of headline news of the engagement from the most benevolent to the cruelest flashed through the screen. "AM engaged to creator of pop game DM" "Idol to marry CEO," "Pop idol marrying her guardian," "CEO cradle robbing," "Pop idol marrying money," "Year long engagement not to last," "Engagement is just a popularity scheme," and so on and so forth…

"AM now heads for her fiancé's private island, more popularly known as the Duelist Kingdom," 

A shot of the island was shown along with past DM tournaments. One of the snapshots featured a familiar vertically challenged youth with a crown of tri-colored hair.

"…in Kaiba's newest private plane, which is spectacularly shaped like the former CEO's favorite monster, the rare Blue Eyes White Dragon."

                This time a picture of a gleaming bluish white two-seater plane that looked like the DM card BEWD was shown. A picture of the said card and a stern Seto Kaiba during the Battle City tournament in Domino City was flashed across the screen as well.

                "Guests to the year's most glamorous marriage are to arrive in style through a luxury liner that will sail forth from the docks of the Domino City Pier at 1900 hours this very night."

                A white luxury liner gaily bedecked with streamers of silver and blue as is the theme of the wedding was shown on the screen. It was beautifully lit up as it docked in an impressively gleaming port filled with banners and ribbons of shimmering silver and sapphire blue.

***

                The room was eerily silent after the loud broadcast. 

                "Does this mean we are heading towards the Duelist Kingdom then?" Serenity guilelessly asked her older brother whose jaw had hit the floor. Not that the rest of the people in the room were in any better condition, well except perhaps for Kaiba, but even the normally impassive youth had a strange expression in his face.

                "Pop idol, pop idol," Tristan was muttering over and over. A tinge of red indistinctly glowed over his tanned skin. 

                "Marrying Pegasus?" Golden eyes were wide in shock as his eyebrows disappeared underneath a shock of white bangs. 

                "Stepson… Mokuba…" Kaiba uncharacteristically mumbled. 

                "Scandalous engagement? The wedding of the year? There's no way I'll miss this!" Mai excitedly cheered.

                Yami snapped out of his reverie. "We're going to the Duelist Kingdom!"

                "Let's just stowaway in the luxury liner then. Tea and I did that before!" Tristan offered.

                Kaiba came back to his senses as well. Snorting, he shut down the idea in a second. "I don't think it will be that easy for SEVEN people to stowaway. Not to mention the consequences if we're found, or should I say when, as it's more likely to be if we go through that!" His fingers were already flying over the console even as the computer screen flashed various pics and data. The young man arrogantly smirked when he found what he was looking for. He turned around to face his would be fellow conspirators. Well given that they're all dead to the world, why not? "We're going to sneak into Kaiba Land."

                "We need to get to the Duelist Kingdom not Kaiba Land, Kaiba!" Mai punned. A blond eyebrow artfully rose.

                "Our transpo is there." Kaiba retorted.

                "Well, if we're going to Kaiba Land, don't you think we should wear disguises?" Ryou thoughtfully commented. "I mean, you're face must be well known there, Kaiba, and that…" 

                "…would be a complication we won't need." Yami ended as he nodded in agreement.

                Kaiba jerked his head towards his room. "If I know my brother, he would have left my room as it is. We could get what we need there."

                "We're going undercover then!" Serenity cheerfully clasped her hands together. 

                Joey's eyes brightened up. "Alright, we're off to save Tea then!"

                "Not without disguising our more well known comrades, we're not." Tristan grumbled, a firm hand having grabbed the back of the enthusiastic blonde's shirt.

                Ryou gazed at their party which was composed of distinguished duelists (Yugi Mutou – the King of Games, Mai Valentine – one of the finalist in both Duelist Kingdom and Battle City and Joey Wheeler – runner-up in Duelist Kingdom and one of the finalist in Battle City) and an infamous teen CEO (Kaiba), former in this world, but still too notable. "I guess if the worst comes, we could pretend to be spirits?" Ryou sheepishly recommended to the rest.  It was an ironic suggestion for him to make for he himself held a spirit deck.

                A mild satiric smile managed to get the better of Yami. "Spirits, huh? Not a bad idea…" Inside his soul room, the spaced out Yugi laughed hysterically. That's forgivable given all that happened in the span of an instant… for them anyway! 

***

                In a dark room, the only light was from the TV screen, which currently featured a young woman getting on a uniquely crafted plane. A splash of thick scarlet fluid began to flow down the screen in blood-like rivulets. "You should have heeded my warnings!" A deep voice enigmatically emerged from the shadows. 

Across the room, a single vermilion candle was lit casting an eerie light over the shrine before it. 

The entire wall was covered with pictures. 

There was only one subject.

                 A woman with golden bangs and ruby tipped chestnut hair.

                It was Japan's hottest pop idol, AM!

***

                AM shivered.

                "Is something the matter, AM-_kaachan_?" Mokuba jauntily asked his sole passenger. Dark blue pools eyed the young woman gazing at the streams of white cloud beyond the glass.

                She frowned. "It's like someone stepped over my grave…"

                The young pilot rolled his eyes. "So dramatic. And the Oscar award for Best Actress goes to… tan ta ra ran… AM for her role as…" 

                AM laughingly pinched his cheeks for his efforts. "Kids these days have no respect for their elders!"

                "Should I be calling you grandma instead?" Mokuba retorted.

                "You're too cute!" The fingers tightened over the soft flesh maybe a bit too much…

                "Eow! Don't murder you're pilot please. Geez, I'm just kidding, you know." Mokuba rubbed his smarting cheeks.

                "That will teach you never to comment on a woman's age!"

                "I know, I know! One of the major NO, NOs!"

                The teasing never stop until the island came into view.

                "Home sweet home, then?"

                AM smiled. "As long as I'm with you two…"

                Mokuba returned the gentle look. "Ah, that's true… home is where the heart is."

To be continued…


	4. Flash Four Times

A Yu-gi-oh fanfic by d2m (diana2megr@yahoo.com)

Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction! Neither ownership of yu-gi-oh nor canonship of this fic is claimed. Nuff said.

***

Geometry of Errors

Chapter 4: Flash Four Times

***

"No! No! No! NO!! NO!!!" Joey screamed in terror. All the "no" in the world is useless however when hurricane Mai had something up her sleeve… which she doesn't have as she's searing a tank top! Still, when Mai sets out to do something, especially when it comes to men and clothing, the rest of the group learned its better not stand in her way, unless you want to end up like poor Joey who was now sniveling in a corner.

Kaiba's cold façade, which had been cracking through this whole misadventure, gave up the lost cause especially at the sight of the "new" Joey Wheeler a. k. a. Katsuya Jounichi, THE Katsuya Jounichi. The casual laid back blonde was now all dressed up with a black long sleeved polo, a nice pair of soft black pants and shining ebony black shoes. His messy blonde hair had been swiped back with gel! The teen CEO, who at first had been irritated that the mutt would be wearing his clothes, was now openly smirking at the blonde's discomfort as evidenced by his constant pulling at the top's button. This didn't last long as Joey was not the only victim, err, privileged being, who had been made over by the unstoppable golden beauty. 

The indomitable Kaiba was made to wear an azure jacket over a plain white shirt, ragged jeans and a pair of white rubber shoes streaked with blue lines. His getup looked like that of a certain "street mutt" much to his displeasure, which he keenly didn't vocalize in the face of the group's incorrigible "costume designer". 

The punkist Tristan was made to look like the boy any girl would be glad to introduce to her parents. His trademark shark hairstyle was lost as Mai combed out the brown locks to fall softly before his watering eyes. The waterworks was not only because of the defunct hairstyle, no matter how much the golden beauty had rolled her eyes at the dramatics. He was bemoaning his hair under his breath. He was also uncharacteristically dressed a nice sky blue polo shirt, dark blue slacks and… his usual midnight blue sneakers. Kaiba and Tristan have too different shoe sizes for him to borrow one of the former's expensive shoes!

Gothic wannabe Yugi was now clad in one of Mokuba's old striped multi-colored sweater along with its matching bandana and a casual pair of bleached blue jeans. His crown of tri-colored hair had been covered with a bright red baseball cap so that only his blond bangs showed. He looked more like a kid than usual even though it was Yugi who was in the soul room. Not to say that Yami had not attempted to throw control of the body to him. Moments before, he had even desperately banged at the door to get Yugi to change with him, but the smart, smart boy had let Mai torment, err, make over his other self instead.

The British speaking Ryou inherited the various leathers and belts of his companions as well as Kaiba's trench coat. Color went to his cheeks at the tight fit of the black leather pants. It clung like a second skin! His long white hair had also been pulled back unto a loose ponytail. The soft-spoken boy had blushed redder than the red, red rose when Mai whistled appreciatively after looking at her handiwork closely. "Snow White is now in black leather!" The golden beauty wittily commented before letting out a haughty laugh in the manner of countless other bossy anime females. Poor Ryou could not look anyone in the eye. His eyes were glued to his so utterly fascinating customary shoes.

Shy Serenity was pleased to get to wear some of Mokuba's old clothes, a comfortable pair of jeans and a soft striped shirt. Since she wasn't as well known as the others, she didn't need such an elaborate ruse like the rest did. That was Mai's explanation. The rest didn't really bought it but no one wanted to confront her after what they went through already…

As for the stylist herself, Mai bound her hair up in a common high ponytail and put on a loose ordinary white shirt and straight blue jeans similar to Kaiba's new get-up. The voluptuous blonde had somehow managed to hide her curvaceous body. With a last critical look, the gorgeous blonde saucily winked her approval at her work. "All set then!" 

The made over group set out for Kaiba Land!

***

"Sir, the pilot of the BEWD v. II, Mokuba Kaiba is formally requesting permission to land." A man clad all in black stiffly reported to his master.

Pegasus J. Crawford raised an eyebrow. "Really now? Since when did my son need permission, dear boy?" A mischievous glint passed through his eye. "Well, do tell my son… Wait I'd rather that you give that to me." 

The bodyguard readily complied, promptly handing the radio over into the hands of his smirking boss. 

"Welcome, son! Now cut the crap and land that thing. You know the way very well." The teasing went up a notch as the father began to speak in the cloying manner that he knows irritates his son no end. " I want to see my dearest AM already!" 

"Hey, I was being respectful to my elders! I knew it didn't pay." Impishness radiated from the teen's voice with an intensity that could cause some serious sunburn. "Also please, don't do the sweet talk while I'm around. My teeth will rot out!" 

A female squeal and an abrupt squawk later, AM took over the radio. Aggravation was evident in her voice. "Pegasus dear? Don't mind the brat. He's just going through those terrible teen years. I do so hope we could survive through his puberty years." She cried in such a blatantly phony manner that just made her companion snort in ridicule. 

"Puberty! Hmph, go ahead, lovebirds! Gang on the poor boy who's also your pilot!" Teasing laughter pealed out from the boy who suddenly gave his guest a "surprise."

A surprised shriek and a muffled "I'll get you for this, Mokuba!" rang out from the radio.

Pegasus calmly sat down. "I have such a loving family!" He began to flip through his Funny Bunny comics as he listened to the pair's antics.

The bodyguards sweatdropped. 

The Crawford family was a really dysfunctional one…

***

Meanwhile, in the private jet, AM was playfully squeezing the fat out of the pilot's cheeks when the engine suddenly died. The young woman couldn't even shout as the jet began to fall. She didn't see Mokuba's desperate attempt to gain control of the plane nor hear him shout at her to put on her parachute. Eyes wide and unblinking, she began to remember another such free fall as the ocean began to rush at her nearer and nearer.

Impact.

***

In the Duelist Kingdom, Pegasus shot up from his seat when he saw the sudden drop of the approaching plane. He snapped at one guard to ready the car and at another to prepare his yacht for immediate departure. In an instant, all levity disappeared from his face as he rushed towards the crash site.

BEWD v. II had just crashed into the sea in a blast of white foam and azure waves.

He had to save his son and his fiancée. 

***

The mismatched group had somehow managed to arrive in one piece in Kaiba Land despite several incidents of high school girls wanting to take Tristan home, women of every age flirting with the "suave" Joey and the "sexy" Ryou, not to mention the mothering of women, who were all over the declared "Oh, so cute!", Yugi. 

The vertically challenged youth was definitely not amused with the great mother instincts, which his looks seemed to trigger in every woman that they encounter. It was the nagging of an eight-year-old girl to for "_nii_-_chan_" to play with her which made the duelist hit the roof. Figuratively, since the gamer's height would make that a most unlikely feat unless Yugi was in a dwarf's home. Joey had, in a strange turnabout, calm down the group's usual peacemaker. 

Tristan and Joey both had to be dragged off their circle of giggling mindless admirers while Mai had to pry off the gaggle of women clinging to the now seemingly permanently glowing bright red mutant tomato that was Ryou. 

Seto just pretended that he didn't know the motley band following him. He simply chanted his little brother's name over and over in his mind while a small part of him hid under the bed sheets. The utterly chaotic situation made the orderly teen want to scratch a fancied unreachable itch on his shoulder blades.

The worst case was definitely that little episode where they had to stop the frothing Joey from pounding a middle-aged businessman who "liked" effeminate young boys. Poor Serenity had to cling to her brother's arms to stop him from murdering the pedophile that had eyed her so lasciviously. In the end, it was Mai who frightened the mob after the group with her manly act… or maybe it was the sight of her bared sharp crimson painted nails, the fire raging in her eyes and the aura of pent-up violence surrounding the gorgeous blonde. 

Well, more or less in one piece…. In the dark corridors, the exotic band followed the confident tall youth making his way through the closed for the wedding "Entertainment City." The employees of the Disney Land-esque park were enjoying a break given in celebration of the wedding of the century.

"Ouch! That's my foot!" Tristan complained more in surprise than pain.

"Shhh!" Mai warningly hissed at the boy

"Please don't fight." Serenity pleaded. 

Seto sharply motioned the group to quiet down. He motioned them to stick close to the wall. 

"I don't think this is the time for this kind of stuff, Joey!" Mai started out slow which got really ugly in the end. Her violet eyes flashed with violence.

"Wah, huh! Not me!" Joey protested. Hands quickly raised up in surrender.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry, Mai-_san_. It was an accident, I swear! Please forgive me for not watching where I was going." A brilliantly red Ryou, as was his usual color since getting "the pants," speedily talked. Words pouring out like a river form the shy teen.

"Be quiet!" Seto coldly dictated. His concentration was broken with the growing rowdiness of his companions. It was mind boggling how he would always get caught up in this little group's utter nonsense. It bordered insanity already! Frowning he got back to the task at hand, opening the locked door in front of him. He never did like obstacles to his plans. He will get his way as usual. The teen smirked smugly when the door automatically opened. 

The hacker's audience peered at the darkened room.

"So, what's in here, Kaiba?" Yugi asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

"Yeah, Kaiba. Where have you dragged us to?"

"Our transportation." Kaiba calmly stated before stepping into the room which automatically lit up. It was a cavernous room and in its center was a familiar blimp. It was the site of the battle for the god cards where eight duelists had fought for the right to go on to the finals at Alcatraz.

"The Battle Ship?" Serenity exclaimed, amazement laced her excited tone.

Joey stared at the ship where both he and Mai almost died. Mai had a similarly stunned look in her face.

"Well?" Kaiba quirked. "We've no time to be gawking around here. Got to prep up the ship fist." 

Yugi looked the genius teen in the eye. "Right, so what do we have to do?" 

Kaiba quickly got them following his orders to ready the blimp for their flight to the Duelist Kingdom.

***

After some slight mishaps courtesy of the boisterous mock combat of Joey and Tristan, the group was now in the cockpit of the airship.

The ever-busy Seto was in front of the control panels again. Long slender fingers flying over the console as he plotted the course, checked the weather conditions and the autopilot and researched for their upcoming confrontation. He was interrupted by a high pitched cry.

"Big brother!" Serenity shrieked as she watched the scene in the news.

"Serenity?" Joey asked in surprise "What's the ma…" He cursed when he too saw what had freaked out his sibling.

"What's going on?" Tristan asked before gritting his teeth in fury and frustration. Mai, Ryou and Yugi followed him. The latter stumbled back to a wall at the sight before him. Ryou turned to comfort the shocked teen while Mai laid a comforting arm around the young girl. Serenity grasped the front of the blonde's white shirt. The common cotton shirt readily absorbed her tears.

Kaiba who had been left alone in the control room turned on the radio.

"… are the last known coordinates of the BEWD v. II." Static interrupted the transmission. "According to eyewitness, the engines suddenly died. The craft abruptly crashed unto the sea in a splash of white foam and ocean waves." More static corrupted the radio transmission, which disappeared all together when the teen abruptly cut it off.

The teen paled. "No, Mokuba!" He hoarsely cried out. He pleaded to the heavens to save his beloved sibling… The endless blue sky reminded him of his younger brother's adoring gaze. Somehow, it also brought back memories of another person with blue eyes. A lighter shade, full of life. Tea. A flash of white streaked his turbulent thoughts. A vision of a bygone age past before his eyes in an instant.

***

"Teana!" He called out irately. A giggle was the only reply he got. Rolling his eyes, he began to search for his playful twin. He tried to reason with his mischievous sibling. "Aunt Meruru will have OUR hide for stripes if we keep her waiting for too long!"

A raspberry came from the girl this time. "That's so mature, Teana! Come on, Aunt Meruru is not someone we can cross." Annoyance rang in his voiceeven as he eyed a suspicious vase. "There you are!" Seito triumphantly stated as he grasped a pink cloth.

Azure eyes as bright as the sky looked at him rebelliously. "That's the whole point of my avoiding her whenever she annoyingly drops by, _onii-sama!_"Sarcasm wasn't the elder's province only. 

"I know, Teana." The boy smoothed the bristling brunette's hair. "But you know as well as I do just how powerful Aunt Meruru is."

Teana sighed in resignation. "I know. Sorry for being such a brat, Seito"

"I'm used to it already, brat!" He mockingly teased his sibling.

"Why you!" 

"Shh! We're almost there."

"Hmph, I'll get you for this later!"

"If you can…" The boy muttered under his breath.

"I heard that!" Teana softly retorted.

"Seito." The matriarch regally called out. 

The young man smoothly bowed before the elder.

"Teana."

The young woman gracefully acquiesced. "Aunt Meruru." She courteously greeted. 

The older woman gazed at the siblings with piercing judgmental eyes.

"Teana."

"Yes, ma'am?"

"It has come to my attention that the young prince had been spending a lot of time with you."

Seito tensed at ominous aura he sensed. Had Bel got Teana in trouble? He knew he shouldn't have allowed her to play around so much!

Meanwhile Teana tried to hide her nervousness. "Yes, ma'am. That's true."

"I see." Turning to the older twin, the matriarch addressed Seito. "Starting tomorrow you will begin training in the priesthood." 

"What?" Twin voices cried out in surprise.

The older woman narrowed her piercingly cold ebony eyes. "You're engagement to Teana is broken. You will rise to power as the next pharaoh's high priest. As for you girl, you will cultivate your doubtful charms to catch the prince's affections. Your proud lineage will make this an agreeable match. This way the power of this family will be sustained." Meruru calculatingly pronounced.

Seito felt a weird clutching at his stomach. His Teana is to marry Bel. He passed it off as hunger. Peering at his red-faced twin, who was trying to graciously reply to the matriarch's dismissal, the butterflies returned to their fluttering inside his guts. He didn't understand yet, but he was confident that he would grasp it soon. He was an intelligent young man after all!

"Teana, are you really alright with this?" He hesitantly asked. An eerie ache suddenly manifested in his heart as he gazed at azure depths. He didn't need a reply as that one look in her eyes said it all…

***

Seto shook his head in bewilderment as he gazed at the familiar screen and console before him. "What's going on here?" Events were occurring too fast even for a CEO of a rapidly evolving genre. Everything was changing all at once.

A relieved Yugi all of a sudden popped up. "They're all right!" The champion duelist jubilantly cried out. "Kaiba, Mokuba and Tea's okay! Pegasus fished them out!"

"Okay? They're alright?" Relief was palpable in the taller teen's face.

"Yes, Kaiba! A bodyguard found them and Pegasus came!" 

The confounded youth had not even notice the loud cheering from the other room when that news came through. Thoroughly preoccupied, Kaiba could only gratefully not to the silent skies.

"_Arigatou, kami-sama!"_

***

Heavy red drapes prevented any light from entering the spacious room, not that the time of the night make sunlight a problem for the lone occupant of the huge antique bed swamped with the finest silk. Unbeknownst to the sleeping girl, there was another being in the room. A black gloved finger tenderly traced the arc of a cheekbone. Slowly a thumb followed the course of softly parted lips. The regular thump of footfalls was the watcher's cue to leave. 

A menacing whisper hang in the air as the specter seemingly vanished into thin air. 

"You're mine…"

__

Tsuzuku…

***

A/N: Thanks to those who review, I'm glad someone is reading this crap, somehow! ^^ I think I will be simplifying my original plot as this thing is taking too long. So many webs more to weave and yet so little time… Not to mention I don't want to leave it unfinished! @@ 


	5. Flash Five Times

A Yu-gi-oh fanfic by d2m (diana2megr@yahoo.com)

Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction; neither ownership of yu-gi-oh nor canonship of this fic is claimed. 

**Gravity of Love** by _Enigma_.

_ * Going Under _by_ Evanescence._

***

Geometry of Errors

Chapter 5: Flash Five Times

***

Darkness… 

Emptiness… 

It was the shattering awareness of waking in a void until...

Turn around and smell what you don't see 

The reek smell of decay cloys in the nose. 

The nauseating stench of putrefaction is overwhelming.

A repulsing mixture of saline solution and decomposing organism deluges the senses.

**Close your eyes ... it is so clear  
Here's the mirror, behind there is a screen  
  
**

The tang was but a just a harbinger of the worse to come as the mirror revealed the bodies previously blessedly hidden in the shadows. The decay was painfully obvious - as were the burnt flesh, the skin and muscles eaten by sea creatures and the agonizingly slow rotting of carrion in their watery grave. The worst was their sudden jerking motions, a hideous parody of the life that was stolen in a fiery instant.

**On both ways you can get in  
Don't think twice before you listen to your heart  
Follow the trace for a new start**

The young woman ran headlong unto the light. Heedlessly, she fled from their ghastly grasping remains that wore the faces of her friends… 

Yugi, Tristan and Joey. An incomplete insignia formed of burnt and bitten flesh marked clearly their shriven hands. It was a hideous parody of the symbol of friendship she had once symbolically drawn with but a simple black pen. A guttural pained moan echoed eerily. "Join us. Friends will always be together, right?" Betrayal hideously deformed their young earnest faces, now pale in death.

Serenity and Mai. "We lovely females should stick together." A gruesome mockery of a grin pulled the partly crisped lips of the voluptuous blonde. Her missing parts were painfully evident. By her side, the auburn locks of Serenity were grisly stricken with her own blood. A fish had been obviously dining on her now unidentifiable bright eyes. 

Ryou and Seto. "You should be rotting here with us!" Death froze their tortured expression. An envious fury burned in their accusing orbs. "What right did you have to live while we're tormented in death?" It was a plaintive plea oozing with hopelessness and despair. 

  
**What you need and everything you'll feel  
Is just a question of the deal**

"Why are you doing this?!" A wretched cry was wrenched forth from the quivering hysterical young woman. Fear, horror, guilt swirled in a nasty mix within azure depths. Futilely, she blocked her ears with her hands. Hopelessly, she tried to phase out their accusing words and haunting looks. Still, the strangely familiar haunting voice prevailed over the helpless shrieks and moans.

  
**In the eye of storm you'll see a lonely dove**

**The experience of survival is the key  
To the gravity of ----**

"This can't be! Yugi?" She hoarsely cried out as her diminutive childhood friend began to horrifyingly totter straight towards her. A slimy and grossly decomposing hand reached out beseechingly to her complete and utter terror. Mindlessly, she screamed. 

  
**"O fortuna ("O fortune")**

**Velut luna" (Like the moon")**

A commanding voice rang over the eerie chorus of the deceased.

  
**Try to think about it ...**

However, she had begun to resign herself to a horrifying death. The guilt overwhelmed her. She was oblivious to the rising power of the soothing baritone.

  
**That's the chance to live your life and discover  
What it is, what's the gravity of l---**

She was surrounded. There was no way out. Shivering, she wrapped icy cold hands around herself. She fought her terror in hope of a dignified end at the least.

  
**Look around just people, can you hear their voice**

"What voice?" Despair and hopelessness laced her strident cry as his voice rose. 

  
**Find the one who'll guide you to the limits of your choice**

"Guide me? Who?!" Fear darkened azure orbs to an uncanny onyx. Panic fear yet now there's a spark of hope. With eyes as wide as a newborn's, she turned around wildly. Searching…

**But if you're in the eye of storm  
Just think of the lonely dove**

A sudden vision of an impish boy with wild long black her standing before a blinding white light came to her. "Mo – ku – ba?" She stuttered. Uncertainty rang in her tone. The voice had reached a glorious crescendo. Stunning in its intensity, it swept the shadows to nothingness. 

**The experience of survival is the key**

Memories poured into her in a torrent. The experience recalled and relieved a thousand times over was as vivid as the first – the fiery explosion, the abrupt fall, the rushing sea and sky until the crashing icy darkness disappeared in the coruscating light that was… 

**  
To the gravity of love.**

… the phantasm of the man who saved her, his arms wide open in warm welcome.

***

"Come back to me, my AM." Pegasus J. Crawford murmured to his sleeping fiancée. He had gently wiped off the beads of sweat on her brow. Tenderly, he stroked back stray chestnut brown strands in hopes of easing her troubled dreams. A shimmering plait of silver hair gracefully swung sideways as he leant over to so softly caress silky pale skin. 

Just behind him, two bodyguards stood in attention. Black eyeglasses covered unseen orbs roving about for dangers out of sight. One was Croquet, Pegasus' faithful butler/guard/etc. The other was Nicholas Morrison, AM's personal bodyguard. He didn't really notice this anymore for he now beheld a most awaited sight, that of azure depths slowly peering out to reality. His fiancée is awake.

"AM," a relieved smile pulled at his lips as recognition dawned in her eyes. 

"Pegasus," It was the softest of whispers but not such that a most attentive pair of ears cannot catch. "Mokuba?" The exhaustion was evident in her voice. The concern and worry painted on her face was easily read. It was, after all, the same look he carried awhile ago.

"He's resting in his room. Enforced, of course." A quiet chuckle escaped from him. Her questioning look just amused him more. "He was quite anxious to see you so he would not listen to the doctor."

"Oh!" Wry amusement won. Weak laughter ensued. "I see." She knew just how stubborn Mokuba could be. She knew very well!

"Yes, I'm sure you could see. He's so much like - " a shadow crossed his features. 

"Seto Kaiba." She ended his abruptly cut off words. Darkness hung over the young woman lying on satiny sheets. 

"AM, I - " 

She blinked away a watery world. "It's been years, Pegasus." Her voice was that of a brutal murder's witness. Unbelieving yet unable to deny the truth engraved in her mind. 

"AM," He enclosed her small cold hand in his own warm ones. "I understand." The warmth of the sun was in his voice, in his accepting tone.

She couldn't stop the deluge. Her bravery melting in this kindness. "Oh, Pegasus! They hated me! They, they! It was just -" Her words didn't make sense but then the world didn't. Not really. But the strong arms around her, the solid chest encased in silk before her, the soothing voice in her ears… this she did understand. "Pegasus…"

He sent the bodyguards out.

In a few crisp steps and a quiet closing of heavy ornate wooden doors, the sorrow unburdened where confined to his soul and his alone. The darkness enclosed within him, just like before. He alone could touch her quivering soul and bring it peace, draw it back to the light where she belonged. Her shining soul was his gift to the weary dreary world She was a scintillating light hiding its own darkness in the blinding light. The unseen and unknown putrid pus of guilt and self-hatred was lanced time and again only with his touch, his words, his presence. Somehow, only he could reach the grief stricken child buried within the charming, confident artist. 

A dark smile covered his face.

But then, he was no stranger to the darkest shadows of the night…

***

**"O fortuna**

**Velut luna" **_  
  
_

Click. He turned off the player.

It was her song. _Gravity of Love_. A dark laughter filled a room of shadows. "Yes, the GRAVITY of MY love." Aimlessly, he ambled. His thoughts all of her again. Her body. Her soul. 

"Mine!" He hissed sibilantly. Possessiveness in life. His obsession. 

She was his. No one else will have her. Not that man. Not her adoring public. His and his alone.

"O fortuna velut luna," Yes, fortune like the moon indeed. She had been his once and will be so again. This was their fate. This was the destiny written in the stars. She had written it herself, sang it to the heavens and beyond. A million beings swayed with her voice. The power, the fury captivated them all. 

_  
_**50,000 tears I cry  
Screaming,  
Deceiving,  
And bleeding for you  
And you still won't hear me***

"Not anymore, my goddess of imaginary light." Eyes glimmered in the flickering light as he mimicked her passionate cry. "You will hear me now."

He sauntered unto the wide hallways. Confidence overflowing. Charm in such abundance. He strode down carpeted corridor. He will fulfill the inevitable. The vision of them, alone, in love. Their eyes were for none but each other. Their voices pledging their love to each other in unison. Touching… Stroking… The softest caress… The most violent use of force…

**"O fortuna**

**Velut luna"   
  
**

An unholy light burned in his eyes. A devil's smile was on his lips. A dark angel roamed the earth.

"You are mine."

*** 

The Battle Ship had finally arrived in its designated destination.

"You know, I hate to be the harbinger of ill news and all, but - " A blonde boy who was looking out the window drawled sarcastically.

"I'm surprised you know what a harbinger is." Tristan grinned a bite-me-if-you-can smile.

"I'm not stupid, Tristan!" Joey protested before angrily waving at the sight beyond the glass. "THIS ain't the Duelist Kingdom. You got lost, Kaiba?" He contentedly crowed.

"I question the first statement. I know the second and a resounding 'no' to the third, Wheeler. I landed here deliberately." 

Mai blinked. "Why here, then?" The gorgeous woman sweepingly pointed out to their 'chosen destination' – a deserted island of some size. 

Seto snorted. "We don't plan for anyone else but Tea and Mokuba to see us, right?" His reply a mockery as usual.

Joey rolled his eyes. "Yes, but how are we to meet them when we are not even in the same isle that they are, Kaiba?" 

It was Yami who answered. He had switched with Yugi, unnoticed until now. He held out a card in one hand. "By magic, of course."

"Curse of Dragon?" Ryou stated. He had consciously folded his arms in front of him. He had been trying to ease, in subterfuge of course, his tight pants moments ago. He failed. Miserably so.

"I don't believe in this mumbo jumbo, but this is the best way to escape notice." Kaiba grumbled. This was the part of the plan he was reluctant to even accept.

"If we don't fall off, that is." Joey lackadaisically commented. 

"I have no intention of becoming fish bait." Seto emphasized the "I" for good measure. His eyes hinted that he though Joey did.

"I do." Joey retorted. "For you." A playful malice laced his tone.

"For me? You shouldn't have." Seto dryly waved off the blonde teen. Disregarding the teasing, his serious look came back. "This island is the closest to the Duelist Kingdom." He commented to the rest as he sharply pointed out their location in the map. "The red mark in the screen is the Battle Ship. The black mark is the Duelist Kingdom." Pictures of the vital locations showed up. "The harbor, the landing pad and the castle, of course, is familiar to you."

"It sure is." Tristan commented sardonically. 

Serenity peered at the castle excitedly. "I haven't been to a castle before!"

The duelists just exchanged wry glances. The Duelist Kingdom was a fiasco they didn't want to repeat.

Seto frowned in remembrance before clearing his head to continue his presentation. "The shortest distance is approximately ten kilometers. It's an empty beach."

"So we're going to the beach?" Joey carelessly interrupted. His eyes betrayed his fervor.

"Of course - NOT." Seto crushed Joey's idea in a cinch. 

"Why mention it then?" The blonde asked exasperatedly.

Tristan hushed the excitable teen. 

"Go on, Kaiba. Just continue." Mai remarked from the right side.

The teen genius raised an eyebrow. He continued his debriefing. "We will drop down this forest and sneak in. No one will notice our arrival, even this close to the castle, in this darkness."

"Not on Curse of Dragon." Ryou commented wryly. "Shadow magic's a good way not to be tracked."

"Yes, that's why we're going by mumbo jumbo." Seto snorted. "Your religion, not?" 

"You're being irreverent to a god." Yami calmly replied. His focus was still on the map.

"My apologies, your divinityship." Seto bowed in mockery.

Ryou laughed uneasily, trying to ease the sudden tension in the air that surprisingly sprung up. "Oh, of course. The Pharaoh was worshiped as the son of the god, Ra."

Yami shrugged indifferently. "Different times, different beliefs." A sly smile tugged at the lips of the normally serious young man. " I'm of an open mind about it, ye poor mortals."

Joey snorted. "Mortals, eh?" He glanced at his constant partner in crime.

Tristan had a similarly mischievous look on his face.

In an instant, the two teens had jumped on Yami. They were playfully wrestling him down. Ryou just shook his head before smartly stepping out of the range of the mock combat. Serenity giggled. Mai just raised a blonde eyebrow.

Seto cleared his throat. "Don't kill our means of transportation." He qualified it in an instant. "Yet."

Yami rolled his eyes. "Alright, get off so we can get on with this."

The two oily replied. Brushing him off in respectful pretense. All a sham to be sure.

"Sure, Your lordship. Whatever you say." Tristan gibe. A hand raised was raised in salute.

"At once, God almighty!" Joey feigned obeisance.

Yami sighed. He knew when he made a mistake. 

Seto lead them out to the dueling arena, the top of the Battle Ship. Yami summoned the creature from the Shadow Realm. They departed unto the darkness. 

***

There was someone in the room with her. Anzu kept her eyes closed not wanting to let go of her edge yet. Trying to keep her breath steady, she extended her senses as far as she can. Who was in her room at this ungodly time of early morn? Who was roaming in her room as she slept? Her breath hitched as she felt the presence draw near. She couldn't help herself anymore. She had to open her eyes. 

"Who?"

_Tsuzuku…_

A/N: The end is near. In a chapter or two? Maybe not one. Oh well, who knows? The only thing I'm sure of is that Yugi-_tachi_ are going to meet some familiar people in the Duelist Kingdom! ;p R & R please! @@


	6. Flash Six Times

A Yu-gi-oh fanfic by d2m (diana2megr@yahoo.com)

Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction; neither ownership of yu-gi-oh nor canonship of this fic is claimed. 

A/N: Why does the format of the document I upload change when it is an html document already? I posted and removed the previous chapter so many times in hope of fixing the formatting and it's still LIKE THAT! End rant. @@ Off to another topic, which do you like better a circle or a line? Hmm… what to do? ^-^

To the reviewers: _Domo arigato gozaimasu_! 

***

Geometry of Errors

Chapter 6: Flash Six Times

***

          "Marik!" AM exclaimed as she recognized the moonlight exposed the elegantly sculpted features of the Egyptian teen that controlled her during the Battle City.

          "You really shouldn't take Kaiba air anymore. You always go down in a fiery splash when you do." Marik sarcastically commented as he sauntered towards the disheveled young woman struggling to sit up in the midst of the clingy midnight blue satin sheets of the grand bed.

          "You sneaked in to my room at an ungodly hour just to tell me not to step in another Kaiba jet?" Incredulous was not a good word for AM's expression. The gamut of emotions that was running through her face at that moment made it a quiz to name what exactly the expression on her face is.

          "Of course not! I sneaked in just for the fun of it." Marik rolled his eyes up dramatically for better effect. "Visiting at normal hours when you're expected is so boring you know." He continued, a playful tone laced each syllable of his words. 

          "Marik Ishtar, if this is going to be another 'why are you marrying Pegasus?' lecture you might as well save it and leave. I appreciate your 'looking out' for me, but I do know what exactly I am getting myself into. Nothing you say could change my mind." Fury was winning. The sparks of anger were flying, heating up the cool night air. AM was not in a good mood after being abruptly woken up.

          Marik just impishly wagged a finger before the infuriated young woman. "Ah, ah! Is this your new policy, shoot a guest before he speaks? Your adoring public will be so disappointed, AM-chan." 

          The singsong tone was too much for the recently awakened woman. A glaring red signal turned on in an instant. The yellow light signal was just a distant memory. She angrily straightened up. "I could count in one hand the number of times we have talked where you didn't try to dissuade me from my decision. Nothing from our previous encounters hinted that your mind might come up with a new topic so forgive me if I'm not in a fine and dandy mood for another of your mystic babblings!"

          It all slid like water over oil to the diffident Egyptian teen. "Bravo, AM! Bravo!" He whistled appreciatively. "Who would have thought that lil' friendship preacher can have quite a temper?" His clapping motions abruptly ended. An ugly leer suddenly plastered itself on his sculpted features. "Then again, you're not that little anymore, are you, AM-chan? Pegasus must be very appreciative…" The tone of his voice insinuated a lot of things that were anything but innocent.

          AM shivered. The darkness in his voice reminding her of a half-forgotten dream, a wispy sibilant hiss. _"You are mine!" She bit on her lips. Resolve firmed her trembling limbs. Her eyes narrowed in disgust. "Marik." Distaste was emblazoned across her face._

__

His lips had turned up in a cunning facsimile of a smile. "Is something the matter, AM-_sama? Is something bothering you? Is there anything I could do for you, AM-_sama?_" His obeisance was the worst._

 "You, you are the utter limits!" AM hissed in annoyance. Exasperation colored her tone. "Why are you always like this? So, so impossible!"

"Aww, don't be that way, AM-_chan_. You know you won't have me any other way!" The innuendoes were back with a vengeance.

A pillow forcefully connected with his face. The livid young woman had violently smacked an exquisitely encased pack of soft feathers right on the smirking features of the Egyptian teen.

Marik caught her outstretched hand in a firm grip. Grinning, he whispered into her ears. "You better play nice, AM-_chan_."

She futilely tugged her hand free. "I'm not nice, Marik!" A sly look crossed her face. "I never pretended to be. Not like you, _Namu." She enunciated his false name for emphasis._

Barb against barb.

Marik ruefully released her. He acknowledged her spike. "Touché! You really have grown up… Tea Gardner." Respect shone in his eyes. He recognized the blood she drew but not without an appropriate payment. He always repays his debts. 

Azure orbs glazed over. The pop idol's adoring public would not have recognized her. "Never call me THAT again, Marik Ishtar." An unspoken threat followed her steel words. A fatal one.

"If you will do me the same favor, AM-_sama_." Marik mockingly retorted. He wouldn't lose to an ice maiden. He had lost his heart a long time ago.

"Leave. Now." The icy look on her face would have given a penguin frostbite.

Obliviously, Marik just bowed with the courtly grace of a bygone era. "As you wish, AM-_sama." A serious look crossed his face for the first time since he woke up the woman he was badgering. "But you better heed my words." The tone of his voice rang in a cadence. _

**"Wish tonight before the dark mark of passing." ******

****

AM froze at the rhythmic rise and fall of his voice. Azure eyes widened in mixed fear and disbelief.

The young man leapt through the open glass doors. White drapes fluttered with the wind. The light of the moon cast his figure in shadows. His words echoed hollowly.

****

**"Sorrow's hymn will reveal your deepest desire."******

Passion moved her to close her eyes. Her hands tremblingly gripped the smooth silk. She let his words washed over her. His manifesto remained even as he himself vanished unto the deceptive night.

**"The truth unfolds at the reflected light's end."_ ___**

          When AM opened her eyes, she was alone. Her skin prickled with the caress of the cool night air. The shimmering fabric danced with the night breeze. 

***

          In the grounds below, seven teens were scattered in a verdant glade. The castle in the midst of the private island was their destination.

Tristan was color coordinating with the woods. Literally. He was now just another lovely shade of grass and leaf green. "Yami…" He had managed to gurgle before quickly clumping a hand over his mouth when his stomach acted up again. He had been trying to glare at the former pharaoh, who was, oh so fondly, stroking the head of a golden dragon, a.k.a. creature from hell, but his tummy was eagerly trying to regurgitate dinner. He settled for settling his stomach before doing bodily damage, err minor only to be sure, to their companion with a spiky hairdo. He wasn't going to do anything permanent, just a bit of face reconstruction… Daydreaming about revenge is a good way to forget about a sudden puking fervor!

          Yami smirked knowingly as he gazed at his companions' faces. He was a believer of the saying, 'don't get mad, get even.' And if he may say so, he did very well on that! Bullying was a leader's prerogative, otherwise no one will want the job of taking all the blame and making all the difficult decisions. Finally appeased, he thanked the very cooperative creature, who was quite puzzled with the reactions of his other passengers, before sending it back to the Shadow Realm.

          Curse of Dragon metaphorically shrugged in its mind. Who could understand these silly humans anyway? Only the Pharaoh made any sense. Somehow… Sometimes… Oh well… At least, it's quiet in the Shadow Realms. Most of the time… In a blink of an eye the powerful dark creature disappeared from the mortal realm.

Meanwhile, Joey was exalting to have his feet on firm ground again. "Land! I'm never going to leave your loving embrace again." The soil the teen was referring to have somehow become a solid trunk of a huge oak tree. Land and tree must be synonymous in Joey terms or maybe the normally excitable youth had lost more than lunch during the roller coaster wannabe ride to the Duelist Kingdom.

          "Big brother," Serenity was tugging at her oblivious sibling's polo. The younger Wheeler was worried for their sick white-haired companion for he had given up the battle long ago. He had quietly lain down as soon as they had landed. He was resignedly waiting another miserable bout of hurling. 

          A few meters away, a gorgeous blonde was silently watching the scene. She didn't need words to express what she's feeling. Her body was all but shouting her smoldering anger. Maybe that smoke coming from her ears weren't just an imagination… Well, there's nothing like having the person sitting right behind you throw up on you after all! The stink, the ghastly colors and the gagging sounds were not Mai's cup of tea. She was definitely not a happy camper tonight.

          "That's sick, Yugi." The indomitable Seto Kaiba impressively stood up as he made that grand pronouncement. It would be a neat trick to take him seriously at that moment as the teen genius was so unsteady on his feet that he resembled an eighteenth century sailor at port i.e. drunk! Not to mention that his hair was a haystack, his clothes all roughed up and his normally stern face was a bit on the pallor side after the sudden drop the creature had made. Looking formidable at his current wretched state would be quite a feat, so he settled for a verbal lashing while his brain was still making connections. Somewhat. "You could very well have a larger creature take us instead of cramming seven people into that miserably small creature's back!" He griped at his diminutive rival.

          "Back? What back? I think I was just hanging on the tail…" Tristan dazedly murmured from his chameleon state. It was an apt description as the Curse of Dragon did have more tail than torso.

          "Stop! Don't talk about it. I don't want to remember!" Joey hysterically shouted. His hands covered his ears. "I can't hear you." He chanted over and over under his panicky breath.

          "Big brother, it's alright." Serenity soothingly spoke as she quickly hugged her distressed sibling in comfort. It was a futile gesture. He was so wrapped up in his own kaleidoscopic world that he didn't notice he was hugging his most detested rival instead of his beloved sister.

          Seto noticed and he reacted. Violently. He was very demonstrative to show how unhappy he was to be used as the equivalent of a little frightened kid's hug me stuff doll. He gave the wrought-up teen an impressive evil eye. "You almost broke my ribs, mutt!" He angrily hissed at the still blabbering blonde who was now crushing a poor defenseless tree trunk.

          The still out of it Tristan commented to all and none. "Woah, who would have thought Joey has what it takes to be a pro wrestler one day?" 

          A single maple leaf blew past the occupied glade. No one even batted an eyelash before Mai coolly advised the stressed teen. "Don't take it out on the tree, Joey. IT didn't do anything to you. Why don't you just take it out in your dear friend here instead?" A bloody red painted nail was pointed straight at the heart of Yami who quickly and smartly raised his arms. 

          In an instant, the teen lost a few inches, had larger eyes and a sweeter disposition. "Is something the matter?" Yugi asked guilelessly. His violet eyes were wide with naiveté. His whole posture shouted ingenuousness. He was a picture of innocence embodied. In short, the ex-pharaoh had mind switched with his other self as soon as he saw that things were getting ugly. He's a real smart guy, isn't he? He sure didn't become known as the 'king of games' by twiddling thumbs all day! 

          Joey blinked. Innocence thy name is Yugi. "Nope, Yug!" He muttered in disappointment. Having eyes that cover half of your face should be a crime…

          Yugi shrugged. "Okay then. So shall we sneak in?" 

          "Don't bother." A muffled voice unexpectedly answered.

          The teens look about in surprise. Serenity nervously clutched at a silky black sleeve of her brother's polo. The older Wheeler glared at everything that moved. Tristan stood protectively in front of the still queasy Ryou. Brown locks fell across his eyes hiding the alertness within.

          "Who's there?" Mai asked in surprise. Her blonde hair whipped about in her sudden turn.

          "Show yourself!" Seto icily ordered. His posture was unassumingly relaxed masking its readiness for violence.

          Mocking laughter rang in the clearing. "I'm hurt that you don't remember me, Yugi-_tachi_." 

          Yami derisively beckoned the shadow under the tree. "Show your face then, FRIEND." 

          A tall lean figure leapt to the center of the clearing. "Tsk. Tsk. Where have your manners gone, Pharaoh? It's such a shame the way kids these days act." A slender finger warningly wagged at them. Golden bangles glinted in the moonlight. Copper toned skin pleasantly contrasted a long mane of white gold which the reflected light of Sol had bleached to a silvery plait. The stranger was wearing a long brown cloak reminiscent of his homeland's vast deserts.

          "Marik!" Ryou gasped. He had stood up quickly forgetting his nausea at seeing his partner/not during the Battle City.

          The older teen raised an eyebrow at their outfits. "Well that's new. Interesting get-ups. Didn't think you're the black leather type, Bakura." He offhandedly commented even as he critically looked up and down the white-haired teen clad. 

A fidgety Ryou futilely tried to ease the skintight black leather pants again. His face was a lovely shade of red once more. "Um… This is… This…"

Mai's eyes narrowed. "I think Ryou looks hot this way. Do you have a problem with my fashion sense, Marik?" There was a tangible challenge in the female duelist's tone.

"Of course not, Milady Mai. I was merely commenting that it is not Bakura's usual style." was Marik's cool reply while he mockingly bowed his head towards the female. 

Smoke began to puff out of the curvaceous blonde's ears. A purple flame burned bright in her eyes. Danger signs were belligerently flashing. Alarms were deafening all perceptions. Figurative or not, the feeling of danger was a palpable thing in the air.

Suddenly a mop of softly falling dark brown locks popped up between the two. 

"Time out!" Tristan cut in. Quickly, the dumbfounded older teen to a side was drawn to a side.

"Ei, what's going on here?" Marik asked in surprise as his now younger contemporaries manhandled him into a conspiratorial conference with hurricane speed.

          Tristan shook his head in feigned sympathy. "Tsk. Tsk. You shouldn't cross Mai Valentine, you know."

          Joey nodded knowingly. "That's right. It isn't healthy."

          The brunette elbowed the blonde. "HE should know that very well for HE had been a frequent victim of the Valentine effect."

          "What did you say?" The excitable blonde vocally protested, loudly to the sniggering boy. "I'd like to see YOU try to-"

          A foreboding shadow suddenly appeared behind the boys. "You boys aren't by any chance talking about me behind my back, are you?" It was the crack of thunder before the storm.

          "Ma… Mai!" The teens leapt back in surprise.

          "Well, boys?" A strange glint was in her eyes.

          "Of, of course not, Mai!" Joey stuttered as he stumbled backwards.

          "Why ever will we do such a thing, Mai-_san_?" Tristan had raised his arms in defense.

          "Hmm… I don't know, but then who really understands the male species?" There was a finality to the thump of Mai's boots as she approached the quivering teens deliberately. Marik just stood aside with a puzzled expression on his face.

          Serenity shook her head. Pity shone in her eyes. "Poor big brother." 

          Yugi nodded agreeably.  "They really should know better."

          "You can't trick an old dog new tricks." Seto cynically added. A smug smirk was on his face however and his eyes were feasting on the ongoing entertainment courtesy of two blondes and a brunette.

"Don't you think we should break this up before it gets ugly?"          Ryou innocently asked his too morbidly fascinated with the approaching torture scene companions.

Yugi stopped his incessant nodding. "Oh right! We better stop Mai before there's nothing left of Joey and Tristan but smoldering bits of fodder."

Marik sighed. "Why do I always get the dirty jobs?" He muttered under his breath. Still he wisely shut up when he saw the commotion that seven teens were capable of making. Making himself comfortable leaning against an old birch tree, he let the group sort themselves out before making his announcement. He didn't have long to wait. 

A hymn of infinite sadness wove through the suddenly still night air. Instinct so deeply buried in their psyche allayed the precocious teens, honoring the lament for the departed. The forest itself fell into a respectful silence. Listening. Awaiting.

Something undefined wavered in the depths of the Egyptian teen's soul. His words were a soft sigh but the youths out of their time heard it clearly.

"It is time."

The piper of Hamelin could not have more easily lead the way to their doom. Unconsciously, they hunted for the source of the haunting melody. The moment that they had turned towards the beckoning song, the reclining teen vanished. 

***

          They arrived at the edge of the forest, just beyond was a moonlight-drenched garden. The soft glow muted the normally picturesque landscape. In the midst of the sculpted bushes, the carefully guided crawling vines and the sparse young trees was a block of black marble. A ghostly nightingale with long dark hair dancing in the night breeze stood before it. A pale finger was slowly tracing the names engraved in gold as her hymn came to its end.

          Yugi felt his breath caught in his throat as the wispy specter gradually turned around. He gasped when he saw her face. "Tea." The way he whispered here name teemed with emotions. A spectrum of feelings known and hidden blossomed in a wave of long dark locks flowing with the wind to reveal smooth ivory skin, large azure orbs and a blush of pale pink. He couldn't believe that she was his childhood friend, his longtime crush. Inside the Millenium Puzzle, his other self was in no better position. The suave Yami had been stricken speechless. 

          An undefined look passed over Seto when he heard his rival murmur her name. His keen senses easily caught the barely blunted passion. Icily, he observed the languid approach of the young woman clad in delicate robes of shimmering white fluidly flowing. Unbeknownst even to himself, he noted the changes the years had wrought on the 'cheerleader'. Time hadn't been unkind. _Au contraire_, the once passable, but hardly incomparable features, had matured exquisitely. "…wandering alone under the fading trees," he softly uttered. He was entranced with a realization of a notion of his youth. The strands of the night's darkness and the moon's gentle ray wove an ethereal vision of light and shadows. Seto saw not a young woman walking out of the fragrant arbor, but the phantasm of a creature from a fantasy.  Her face was a painting of haunted sorrow, recognized futility and abiding loss. He was bewitched by melancholia.

          The stunned group could only stare as their older friend approached them in a trance. The world continued to rotate. The forest came alive with sounds. 

Yugi took a step towards his childhood friend. "Tea?" He breathed her name hesitantly.

AM froze. "Yu – gi ?" There was a catch in her voice as she spoke his name.

Yugi smiled in relief. "Tea!" He exuberantly flung his arms around her. He hugged her tightly. He needed to feel her body against his. Solid. Real. The events after the explosion being one nightmare after another, he was desperate for this one reassurance – that his childhood friend is alive and well.

She returned his crushing grip. She too had been trapped in a bad dream for years. She could not afford a realistic hallucination. She had to feel flesh and bones. Reality.

 Seto frowned. He had a strange feeling in his stomach. It was comparable to the time that he spent under the tender mercies of his so called father. It puzzled him why this scene tickled his mind when it's exactly what he expected to occur since she disappeared. He composed himself. He will observe quietly. It's the details that are important. He will figure this out.

          The Wheeler siblings were both crying sentimentally. The older tried to hide it while comforting his openly sobbing sister. The others were more discreetly wiping away tears. A soft smile on their lips. An air of relief prevailed. The knots of tension disappearing as clenched muscles soften in relaxing relief. They did not even notice the vanishing act that the Egyptian teen pulled. 

***

Alone, he stood on top of a tall tree. A peaceful dreamy look was on his face as he gazed unseeing at the beautiful sparks of light that dotted the night sky. A shadow passed by his face. When the moonlight descended upon the copper skin once more, darkness has etched itself on the serene features. Evil burned in the depths of his eyes. The upward curl of his lips was no sign of pleasure. It was a harbinger.

"_Onee-chan, I will make your dreams come true._ Yakusoku_!"_

          _(Dear sister… I promise!)___

__

_          The laughter that rang in that dark hour was not a happy one. _

          The devil was celebrating tonight. 

          **"For whom does the bell toll?"**

_Tsuzuku…___


	7. Flash Seven Times

A Yu-gi-oh fanfic by d2m (diana2megr@yahoo.com)

Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction! Ownership of yu-gi-oh is disclaimed. ^-^ This fic is canon? That would be a laugh! @@

A/N: I thank the faithful reviewers for giving me the encouragement to finish this. Just a couple more and this monstrosity will be done! Short, right? -_-;

***

Geometry of Errors

Chapter 7: Flash Seven Times

***

            "Tea."

            It was a whisper from the past. A familiar cadence that she thought she had forgotten, but her heart would not allow it. Deep within her heart something stirred. A voice desperately cried out. **_Yugi!_**

****

            Blood rushed through her veins. Her heart beat so fast that it was about to leap out of her chest. "Yu – gi ?" AM asked breathlessly. Hope and fear sang with one voice. Her prayers were answered in a cry of relief.

            "Tea!"

            It was his voice. AM wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. This scent, this arms, this body… she knew it well. She smiled. Her eyes were full with unshed tears, but she didn't care enough to wipe them away. She couldn't, not when the wish she had buried in time had blossomed at this most unlikely moment. It was then that a haunting voice began to echo in her mind. She froze at the unexpected reminiscence. She was back in her room, looking out of the glass doors where Marik stood in the balcony.

**"Wish tonight before the dark mark of passing." ******

** ******

Wish? In her mind, she saw them as they were, laughing and playing around. They were enjoying the bantering and kidding at a plane cabin that was currently thousands of miles above the surface of the earth. It was the high before the fall.

** ******

** "Sorrow's hymn will reveal your deepest desire."******

** ******

Hymn? It was a melody that haunts her, a song that always arises, unbidden, from her lips the moment she sees that gleaming block of ebony marble marking their fateful rest. Uninvited, it ascends from the darkness within that laments still for all that she had lost. The shadows in her heart hid a thousand and one regrets.

**"The truth unfolds at the reflected light's end."_ ___**

            Truth? It was that moment when they stepped forth from the shadowy vale, untouched by the ravages of time, unmarred by the touch of death. The inscriptions shone a molten gold flame in the pale light of the moon. She read their names. 

Yugi Mutou. Immediately, a diminutive teen with gold, ebony and scarlet spikes came to her mind. He boldly placed a card face down. Amethyst orbs sparkled with confidence. 

Seto Kaiba. A stern brunette with a flapping white trench coat glared at his enemy. His icy blue eyes narrowed fiercely. He radiated an aura of an able general about to crash the opposing army.

Ryou Bakura. Locks of white fluttered gently across a pale face shining with earnestness. A finger sheepishly scratched at a cheek as he looked down flustered. A sweet smile slowly blossomed to bless the world graciously.

Tristan Taylor. A tall lad with dark brown hair spiked up in a unique style assuredly reached a hand out. He gave off a feeling of steadiness. He was a loyal friend. 

Joey and Serenity Wheeler. The tragically separated siblings dramatically reunited. The usually cocky blonde had a remarkably gentle look in his face as he comfortingly held a slender auburn in his arms. Locks of flame flowed in the wind as the younger girl gazed at the boy holding her with utter adoration. 

Mai Valentine. Strands of gold flittered in the wind as she haughtily step up. A pair of patently violet denim vest and skirt showed off a figure that Aphrodite would envy. Her confidence knew no bounds as she decisively ordered her favorite Duel Monster to attack. 

"Te – ah ?" Yugi's voice brought the bemused AM back to the real world. Slowly, he reached out to touch her face. He treated her like she was a delicate crystal figurine, easily shattered with an indelicate handling. A slender finger sweeping gently across pale skin to wipe off the moisture that filled her azure eyes. 

It was her reality check, the touch reserved for a babe in swaddling clothes. It was the care of a mother for her child. She saw the depth of his feelings. It was simply too much for the distraught pop idol. The events of the day crashed down upon her all at once. She broke down. "Yugi!." She sobbed out. Her head rested upon the slender yet firm chest of the boy. Her hands grasped firmly the soft sweater that he was wearing. 

            He calmed her frayed nerves with soothing whispers. "It's alright, Tea. I-" A voice protested from within, "WE are all here for you." He paused as Yami spoke to him. "We're alive, Tea. We didn't die and we are right here. Right now. With you." He smoothed back her hair as he softly enunciated words that he thought would comfort her and allay her fears. He could never do stand her tears. Slowly, he lifted her chin. He beheld a tearstained face. "Tea?" 

            "Um. I, I'm alright now. I… thank you." Suddenly abashed of her frayed emotions, she laughed timorously. "Sorry for getting your shirt all wet, Yugi." Her eyes however had never shined brighter than it did then. 

"It's alright, Tea." Realizing how close they were, Yugi stepped back. Color rouged his cheeks as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

AM backed away too when a pair of arms clasped firmly around her from nowhere. A body soon followed the grasping limbs. It was a girl.

            "Tea!" Serenity cried out happily as she hugged the surprised young woman. 

            Then boys couldn't wait anymore too. Joey and Tristan engulfed her in a giant bear hug. "Tea girl!" They laughingly yelled as they inadvertently tried to break a couple of her ribs.

            A bossy female voice spoke from behind the two. "Let her breath, idiots!" Mai scolded them. "She's doesn't need broken bones." 

Joey and Tristan immediately released AM before boisterously speaking in a chorus.

            "Right, Mai!"

            "Sorry, Tea!"

            A familiar British cadence suddenly piped in. "I'm very pleased to see you also, Tea-_san_" 

            "_Minna!" AM gasped in delight at seeing her friends, alive and well. "But, how?"_

            Seto's lips quirked into a semblance of a smirk. "You merely noticed THAT now?"

            AM gaped at him before bursting out to laughter in sheer delight. "I even missed THAT cynicism of yours, Seto Kaiba!"

            Incredulous, Seto raised an eyebrow. He snorted. "Is that so?"

            "You missed THAT? Are you sick, Tea?" Joey asked the giggling young woman in theatrical horror. He then turned to Tristan. "She must be delirious!" 

            Tristan merely grinned. "Hey Tea, that fall must have messed up your mind for you to miss even Mr. Sarcastic here!"

            "You guys!" AM shook her head. 

"Still, some explanations are needed -" Yugi began. 

Seto interrupted him. "Where's Mokuba?" The worry was evident in his voice. 

AM was startled. "Mokuba? Oh!" She quickly smiled at him reassuringly. "He's in his room. Come on. I'll bring you to him." 

"Wait!" Ryou suddenly spoke up. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we can't let anybody else see us." He quickly added at seeing her questioning face. "Well, except for you and Mokuba, of course."

"What? Why…" AM asked in surprise. Realization dawned abruptly. "Oh? Of course! We do need to speak, don't we?" She spoke the last bit more to herself than to anyone. "I'll sneak you in to my room." She reassured the group before suddenly turning towards the teen genius. "Don't worry, Seto. I'll get Mokuba. Then, we'll talk."

Seto just nodded gravely.

AM led the group into the castle. Silently and swiftly, they plunged deeper into the darkness. After going up a few stairs and down some corridors, they finally reached her room. She opened the door. They quickly entered. Seeing the uneasy group, she waved a hand at the settee from the open portal. "Please sit. I'll be back soon." 

            "Mokuba first." Seto coolly asked. His indifferent demeanor hid the depth of his anxiety.

            AM understandingly acquiesced to his request. She left, leaving the group to their own devices.

            Mai began to explore the room as soon as the door had closed. "Nice room." She commented offhandedly as she looked around. "It's even better than the quarters they gave us back during the tournament." She remarked as she fingered the silky texture of the deep blue bed sheets.

            "Well, she IS Pegasus' fiancée after all." Ryou chipped in. He had been staring at the portrait of Pegasus, Mokuba and AM that was hanging on top of the fireplace. The man had an arm around the woman's waist while she was leaning back against his chest contentedly. In front of the loving couple, a young man placidly sat in wooden swing. They each laid a gentle hand on his shoulders.

            Startled, Yugi woke up from his trance like state. He had been high staring at the door that AM had stood in front of moments ago. Ryou's words caused him to crash down to reality in a flash. "Fiancée…" He softly repeated. It left a bad taste in his mouth. The thought that his friend was betrothed repulsed him. That it was to Pegasus made it an even more repugnant concept.

            Joey blanched. "What the hell was she thinking?"

            "Maybe she wasn't!" Tristan wryly commented as he picked up a picture of the happy pair. In it, a rain of pale pink sakura softly fell in the background as an exuberant Pegasus held in his arms a sputtering AM. He could almost hear her laughing protests as he gazed at the photo…

            Serenity hesitantly traced the young woman's contented features. "Somehow, this doesn't look fake. There is something in her eyes that tells me she's happy."

            Joey stared at a few other pictures of the couple that were decorously positioned on the elegant mantle of the wooden counter. "Pegasus and Tea?" It was an unbelievable concept for the teen.

Seto blindly gazed out the glass doors. He had been looking at the pictures of his brother along with the happy couple. The heavy feeling in his chest grew. The chitchat of the other teens caught his attention. The uncomfortable fluttering of his stomach worsened inexplicably. His only concern was Mokuba so why does the steadily solidifying idea that their engagement might be a mutual decision trouble him so? The night terrain did not hold the answer he's looking for.

***

            "Mokuba?"

            Mokuba stirred. He recognized that voice.

            "Mokuba?"

            That soft whisper was too familiar.

            "Mokuba?" 

            "Hmmm?" On the verge of consciousness, he tried to catch the elusive awareness. He opened his eyes. A young woman with long dark hair was sitting beside him on his bed. "Wha-? Mo- mother?" He asked in surprise. He was wide awake now.

            "Shh…" A finger was raised warningly.

            He blinked at her owlishly. "Is something the matter? Wait a minute! Are you alright? I-" The words furiously spilling from his lips were stopped by the finger she placed against his lips. 

"Everything's alright, Mokuba, but you have to come with me now." AM said with a reassuring smile.

            This only made him more suspicious. "If everything's fine then why are you here at this hour? For that matter, why are we whispering?"

            AM softly laughed. "It's a surprise. Now, come on. Hurry!"

            "I don't like surprises." Mokuba grumbled as he grudgingly pulled a night robe on.

            A mysterious smile flickered on the young woman's face. "Not this one." She promised.

            Mokuba sighed resignedly, but he still followed her out of his room and into hers.

***

            The door opened. AM entered with Mokuba behind her. The teenager with tousled black hair wearily yawned in the doorway. He stumbled in as AM quickly pushed him in to close the door. "Mokuba!" She hissed at the rapidly blinking boy.

            "What did you do that for?" He yawned again. His eyes were heavy with sleep. "So where's the surprise?"

            AM rolled her eyes at him fitfully. She deliberately faced his head forward to see the seven teens who had stood up in surprise at his entry. "Eyes front, kiddo!" She teased the sleepyhead.

            "Mokuba!"

            THAT voice was not one that he had heard for a long time. Instantly awake, he looked up to see someone he never thought he would see in this side of the world again. The color drained from his face. He rubbed at his eyes in disbelief. "Big Bro – ther ?" He hesitantly asked. His voice quickly fell to his childhood tone at seeing the too familiar form of the tall teen before him. It was a face he could never forget.

            The older Kaiba quickly hugged his sibling. "Yeah, it's me, Mokuba!" 

            Mokuba stiffened at his touch. 

"It's really me, Mokuba." Seto soothingly spoke to the spooked teen. "You can't get rid of me that easily, you know." He teasingly tousled the already messy hair of his younger brother.

The younger boy roughly shoved the older away. "Call security, mother! They're imposters."

"Mokuba?" A chorus of voices gasped at the violent reaction of the younger Kaiba.

Seto frowned. "Stop this nonsense, Mokuba." This was not how he envisioned Mokuba would react.

"Mokuba, wait!" AM pleaded with the headstrong youth as he pushed her behind him protectively.

"They can't be them! Mother, you know as well as I do that if they're alive they would be older too!" 

"No time has passed for me since I saw you fall off the plane, Mokuba. Unbelievable as it seems, we somehow must have slipped through a wrinkle in the fabric of time to end up here, which is to us, three years in the future." Seto irately reached out to his brother. "We didn't die in that explosion, Mokuba."

Mokuba angrily swatted the hand away. "Don't act so familiar, fake!" His eyes were narrow with anger. "Bullshit! You're just like all those other phonies. Now get out before I have you thrown out!"

Slap!

Mokuba touched his stinging cheek. "Mother?" He hesitantly asked.

"Are you awake now, Mokuba?" AM angrily asked. "Can you even hear the filth you're saying?" Her eyes were filled with tears.

"Enough! No one hurts my brother." Seto coldly stated as he came between the two.

The confusion quickly faded away from the younger Kaiba's demeanor. Hatred shone in his eyes. "Stay away from her!"

The older Kaiba inadvertently backed at the bitterness he heard.

"Mokuba!" AM cried out in annoyance.

"What? I'm just looking out for you, mother!" The boy heatedly replied. "You don't know how many-"  He stopped. A determined look slid on his face.

"How many what?" She asked in exasperation.

"How many imposters dad had to take care of after big brother and everyone else died..." His voice waned, but the fire continued to burn in his eyes. He doggedly continued. "I didn't know either until a slippery one managed to pass through security…" His lips were a tight line. The memory brought a pained look to his earnest face. "Mother, I'm sorry, but you can't trust people just like that anymore." 

"Mokuba…" AM sadly gazed at the upset teen. She pushed the bangs off his face. "Do you remember our promise?"

He looked away. 

"Mokuba…"

"I, I remember." Mokuba resignedly replied.

"And?" AM pressed.

"Alright, I'll give you a chance to prove yourselves." Mokuba peered at the group coldly. 

AM smiled. "Thank you, Mokuba."

The stern façade did not fade from his face. 

Ryou gulped. A puzzled look was on the Wheelers faces. Mai and Tristan frowned. Yugi weakly smiled at the impassive youth. Seto was furious.

"Well," AM started to break the icy barrier. "Can you tell us what happened three years ago?"

Yugi earnestly replied. "We don't really know what happened. To be truthful, I thought we were dead already when the plane exploded but somehow we woke up in Kaiba's room."

"We searched for you, but you weren't there." Ryou piped up. "Kaiba found out in his computer that -"

"Pegasus adopted you." An icy fierceness raged in the depths of the older Kaiba's eyes. "He was after Kaiba Corp., wasn't he? Did he force you?"

The fury in Mokuba's eyes matched his brother's. "Yes, he adopted me and no, it wasn't about the company. FATHER," The teen drawled. "Merely guided me. I make all the decisions regarding Kaiba Corp. I am the CEO. Is it so inconceivable that I could ran the company just as well as Seto Kaiba?"

The glacial fury withered away. The passion died down. "I never said that you couldn't handle the job. You made that insinuation, not I." Seto said apathetically.

"Of course, how silly of me. Do pardon MY rudeness." Mokuba retorted coolly. He could play a mean game of poker now. Business deals where just another strategy game. He learned from the best…

Applause came from the suddenly open glass doors.

"How deliciously tart! What a show this is! Bravo, bravo!! Encore!" Marik cynically announced. He smirked at the people who turned to face him.

"Marik?" Mokuba asked in surprise.

AM raised an eyebrow at the dramatic entrance. "Do please NOT complicate things more, Marik."

'Tsk, tsk, AM dear. Whatever makes you think I'm going to do that?"

"Experience, Marik dear." AM repartee. "When have you not made things worse?"

He dramatically placed a hand over his heart. "Gasp, you wound me! Am I nothing but a nuisance to you? Oh woe is me! It's better for me to depart this world than to rise the ire of the pop idol AM."

"Can it, Marik. What are you doing here?"

"Temper, temper," Marik wagged a finger at the irate Mokuba. "And here I came to explain the inexplicable happenings around our dear naught but a spirit ex-Pharaoh!"

Yami glared at the Egyptian's taunting. "Then explain." 

He bowed. "Of course, oh mighty pha- rha - oh - ship!" 

Scarlet overpowered the amethyst orbs. 

Marik nonchalantly paced back and forth the balcony. "It's so simple really, you know? Maybe that's why you can't see it yourself?" He surreptitiously eyed the teen genius.

Seto's glared daggers back at him.

Marik just exaggeratedly waved his hands like a magician about to perform a trick. "Ma – ah – gic, of course!" A sly smirk crossed his face. "Shadow Magic to be exact."

"Who?" Yami icily asked.

"Not who," Marik casually backflipped. His long brown cape flapped in the night breeze as he balanced on top of the railing, just a step away from falling off the castle's balcony. "What is the question." He leered at the astounded audience.

"What do you mean?" Seto demanded urgently.

"The Shadow Realm." A Cheshire cat grin flashed a lot of enamels. "The so called Bermuda Triangle is nothing more than a fragile wrinkle in space-time. A permeable bubble of the Realm of Shadows!"

Yami's lips tightened into a straight line. "The Shadow Realm… but why?"

"Why is not a question when it comes to that other dimension, pharaoh dear!" Marik theatrically simpered at the irate spirit possessing the diminutive teen. "But you don't remember that, do you?"

"Wait a minute! How did you know this, Marik?" AM butted in.

"That's for me to know and you to find out, dearie." Marik mockingly patted her hair.

"Stop that!" Mokuba pushed the offending digits away. "Why can't you just leave us alone, Marik!" 

"Nobody likes a comedian, but I'll make an exception for you." The Egyptian patted his hair now.

"You knew they were alive and you never told me!" AM furiously demanded. Her hand clasping his wrist.

Marik coolly turned to her. "Would you have believed me?" 

"I wouldn't." Mokuba gently pried off AM's fingers from its tight grip. He stood before AM. "I will never trust you, Marik."

"Such harsh words, Mokuba." The Egyptian played with his platinum blond hair. "But then, you never did get that stick out of your ass after your beloved big brother disappeared from this world, eh?

Mokuba glared. "Get out!"

"Of course, my dear friend. _Au revoir!_" He disappeared in a whirl of his sandy brown cloak.

Mokuba looked at AM with concern. "You should sleep. You need to rest. You have a lot to do tomorrow with the wedding just three, no, make that two days away."

"I don't think I can sleep after that. Plus," she turned towards the rest of the room's occupants. "We haven't exactly finished our talk, haven't we?"

"Rest." Mokuba firmly stated as he pulled AM to her bed.  "I'll take care of the rest."

"Mokuba!" AM protested as the stronger teen laid her down and pulled the comforter up.

"Sleep." The teen firmly stated before forcing a sleeping pill that he took from her drawer down her throat.

AM made a face in distaste before resignedly drinking the water he handed to her. "Guest room…" She insisted before the drug took effect.

Mokuba turned to face the group. "Come on. She needs to rest. She had a tough enough day even without your arrival." He lead them to the guest quarters. "Stay here until I come for you in the morning. Don't leave this wing. I'll talk to the servants."

Seto grasped Mokuba's elbow before he could leave. "WE need to talk."

The black-haired youth shook the hand away. "WE have nothing to talk about im-" He stopped himself before striding back to his room. "We'll continue this talk in the morning."

Yugi clasped Seto's hand. Compassion shined in his eyes. "Everything will be better tomorrow. It's really late. We all need some rest."

Seto clenched his hands. "Tomorrow. We have a lot of things to discuss tomorrow, Mokuba." 

The retreating teen didn't even deign to reply.

The group parted ways. Sleep came easily to the exhausted teens.

***

            "Complication, complication." A shadowy figure muttered to himself. He eyed the young woman resting obliviously in her bed. He lifted a lock of her long hair to his lips. "Tomorrow, my dear. Tomorrow."

            He vanished.

Tsuzuku… 


	8. Flash Eight Times

Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction! Ownership of Yu-gi-oh is disclaimed. ;P This fic is canon. -- False! ^-^;

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. Finally, the end is nigh!

***

Geometry of Errors

Chapter 8: Flash Eight Times

***

"Hey, kiddo! Missed me?"

Flash. A living and breathing teen was smiling kindly.

"I'm alive. I didn't die then."

Flash. A still burned husk with a familiar face stared at nothing and everything.

"It's really me."

Flash. A shaft of light brought reality afore. Its source was a mystery as the room was dark, purposefully so. The wooden paneling was of glossy black oak as were all the heavy furniture in his living quarters. Astoundingly, in lodgings that figuratively shout wealth and opulence, the rest was done in utilitarian steel and plastic. Still, it was all in shades of somber black and gray. The chamber may reek of durability and practicality, but the ornate carvings and the heavy wall tapestries heralded the converse. The heavy drapery covering the vast closed glass doors leading to his balcony was a dreary overcast sky. No one could talk him out of it. It was his choice, his decision to make or unmake. Up to the last ebony bed sheet and bleak coverlet of silk and satin intertwined in a stormy impression, the entire room was decked out according to his will. In a way, it was a statement of his tenacity. 

The teen lying in the midst of the king sized bed sat up. Done with his sudden onset of morbid musings, he got off the soft mattress. After quickly freshening up in the suite's adjoining lavatory, he began to make his way to the guest wing where he had left last night's, no, this early morn's visitors.

A sudden spark of anger brought about a heavier footfall than usual. The carpet just muffled his stomping steps. His lips curled into a grimace as a fragile blossom fell right on his path. He stopped. The scent of fresh flowers clung in the fresh morning air. The extensive hallway of the labyrinthine mansion had been festively festooned in bright azure and shining silver. Sprigs of fragrant blossoms were tastefully ribboned, inserted or otherwise set in some creative and aesthetically pleasing manner in what seemed to be every mantle and window in the castle. Picking up the cerulean bloom, he decided that a visit to his mother was in order before anything else. A gentle smile expunged the unpleasant countenance he had worn seconds ago as if it had never existed. Catching a glimpse of her peacefully sleeping face, and the resulting expression courtesy of his morning impish impulse, was a far more enticing endeavor than facing THEM first thing in the morn. He was moving before he had made a conscious decision. What wise feet he had!

                Momentarily, he was seeing what he had envisioned. Golden locks carelessly fell across closed eyelids. A single hazel tress was strewn across a pure puff of cloud in the midnight sky. He impishly smirked as he practically glided closer to the obliviously quiescent young woman. The silence did not last. In a blink of an eye, he had pounced like some sort of giant cat playing with a so fascinating string of yarn. The limp body was bounced up in an instant to predictably fall back when the mass suddenly realized it's aberrant condition. The result was as inevitable as the glorious sunrise that had passed by unnoticed.

Surprise didn't quite express her expression. With her ruffled clothes and hair strewn about in every direction, she was a sight to behold. The unholy light in her eyes didn't bode any blessing to the target it has focused on.

"Mokuba!"

He grinned at the familiar exasperated cry.

"Good am, AM!" He chirped as innocuously as the bird, which had caught the worm.

"Mo – ku – BA!"

NOW, it was a pleasant morning.

***

A muffled crash shoved the slumbering teen back to consciousness. Mental anguish was also imparted as a parting gift it seemed. He stifled his groan at the noise, which merely exacerbated his pounding headache. Blearily, he opened his eyes. An unfamiliar ceiling greeted his sight. That jolted him to wakefulness.

"Are you alright, Yugi?" Yami asked from the inner recesses of the boy's mind.

Yugi shrugged in reply. "Ah, I'm alright. Just a headache is all." 

"If you're sure," Yami doubtfully commented. "Well, you better freshen up before that storm in the hallway reaches here. We might as well be ready for this day's tumult."

"Your right. I guess, I better hurry then!" Yugi cheerfully remarked. He hustled to the bathroom. He was not the only one who got the bright idea to freshen up. 

In the other rooms, the teens who had been awakened by Mokuba and AM's morning ran, meaning all except for the dynamic duo sleepyheads, Tristan and Joey, were up and about their morning rituals. Now THEIR wakeup call was a cruel and unusual punishment brought to you by a blonde with a purple penchant who did woke up in the wrong side of the bed. 

"Good morning, big bro – oh!" Serenity exclaimed. "Are you alright, big brother? Tristan?"

Mai look at the two challengingly, her body posture daring them to say a word. 

Joey sheepishly tried to shake off the liquid coldly sliding down his back. "Heh heh heh! I… fell?"

"Fall? Where?" Serenity asked in puzzlement.

Seto raised an eyebrow. Surprisingly, the teen maintained his peace instead of needling the 'mutt' as he was wont to do.

Tristan sniffed, but he too kept an unusual silence. Instead he busily toweled off his still dripping hair. He wore an injured look with a martyr's demeanor.

The uneasy silence was suddenly  broken by an exasperated cry. 

"Come back here!"

"No way!"

"Way!"

"Nah, nah!"

"Mokuba!"

The door flung open. An impish teen ran in with an irate one right at his heels. 

"Mokuba!" AM grabbed him by the collar.

"Hey, leggo!" Mokuba squirmed under the piercing glare of the disheveled young woman.

"You!" 

Seto thought it was the right moment to interfere. "Excuse me." 

"Huh? You're all awake already?" A surprised AM released her hold on the boy who smartly took advantage of this to put a heavy piece of furniture between them.

"Now that we've all had some rest, we could continue our unfinished business?"

                "Uh, right…" A flustered AM replied.

                "Nope," Mokuba interrupted. "Breakfast first. Plus mom needs to change, I'd say." He pointedly gazed at Tristan and Joey who got over their Mai exasperation and was now unabashedly staring at AM's appearance. 

The object of their avid eyeing tilted her head slightly at the two. She blinked. She looked down. Blinked again. She suddenly yelped as she finally realized that she hadn't been able to change unto decent clothing since Mokuba's unexpected wake up call. "You two!" Flushing, she made a quick turn about. 

Mai sighed before bashing the blissfully oblivious Joey in the head. Tristan quickly raised his arms in surrender before she could hit him.

Eyes wide, Serenity poked at her unconscious sibling. She shook his shoulder. "Big brother?" She timidly asked the swirly-eyed figure sprawled on the floor.

"Don't worry, Serenity. Your brother is too thick-headed to be down for long." Tristan assured the girl. The words were barely out of his mouth when the blonde sprung up like a jack-o-box.

"Who? What? Where?" Joey spluttered at the speed of about sixty words per minute.

Mai expressively rolled her eyes. "See?"

Serenity smiled in relief. "Good morning, big brother!"

"Huh?" Joey scratched his head in astonishment. "Uh, yeah… good morning, Serenity!"

"Mokuba." Seto cornered the smirking teen.

Mokuba's eyes narrowed. He disregarded the older teen. He turned around "This way." He called out behind.

Seto clenched his fist in deep irritation. A hand comfortingly rested on his shoulder. He glanced at the hand's owner.

"Give him some time." Ryou soothingly spoke. "He's a good kid. He'll come around."

Seto looked at Mokuba's retreating back. It was like looking at a mirror. "Maybe…" But he doubted it…

***

                Mokuba lead the group to an airy dining room. Breakfast was already laid out. With a careless shrug, the teen asked the group to dig in already. They did. 

                Twenty minutes later the uneasy look in Mokuba's face had graduated into a full-blown frown. 

                "Tea should be here already." Yugi worriedly glanced at the door.

Ryou tried to assure the worrywart. "Um, maybe something came up?" 

Mokuba shook his head. "No, it's not like her to keep people waiting. I'll go check up on her -" 

The door suddenly opened. Everybody looked up expectedly.

"Sir." It was Pegasus' bodyguard. 

"Croquet?" Anxiety flared in his eyes. "Mother?" A whole range of queries where amassed into that single word question.

The bodyguard bent his head near the teen's ear.  

                Mokuba's eyes widened in surprise at the news the guard brought. "What?! How?" He demanded explosively with an angry clench of his fist

"Is something wrong, Mokuba?" Yugi asked in concern. 

Seto leaned back casually. Furtively, he studied his younger brother's reaction.

Mokuba glared at Yugi, but didn't deign to even answer him. "Croquet!" He imperiously motioned the guard to follow him.

"Will you just get that bee out of your bonnet already and just tell us what's going on?" Joey exasperatedly asked.

"Stay here! You are not allowed to leave the room. Croquet!" Mokuba headed straight for the door. The bodyguard followed him subserviently.

Tristan grabbed him. "Hold it. I don't want to be rude but - argh!"

Mokuba flipped him easily. "Don't touch me!" The boy hissed.

The bodyguard shoved Tristan back and slammed the door shut.

The teens stared at the still vibrating solid doors.

"What was that about?" Ryou shakily asked.

Serenity was helping Tristan up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just surprised and all."

Joey joined his sibling. "I didn't expect Mokuba of all people to -"

"To what, Wheeler?" Seto icily asked.

It was Mai who answered his question. "To act so violently. To be so rude. To be just like another Kaiba we all know."

"Really?" Seto's voice could cut with its sharpness.

"Really." Mai dauntlessly retorted.

"Touché." The irony was not lost to an expert user of it.

"Umm, I hate to interrupt, but…" Serenity spoke up.

"Go on, Serenity." Joey loyally stood by his younger sister.

"I heard."

Yugi excitedly looked up. "What Croquet said?"

A sad expression crossed Serenity's face. Quietly, she spoke. "Tea's in trouble."

"I surmised as much. So, was she kidnapped?" Seto asked.

Her expressive face showed the answer to the world.

Seto turned towards the rest. "We need to get out of here."

Yugi nodded in agreement. Determination shone in his eyes. "Yes, we can't help Tea if we're stuck in here."

"And that's a match!" Marik announced loudly as he appeared out of nowhere.   
"Congratulations! You won first prize, a one-way ticket to where you want to go!" 

"Marik!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Yes, that is my name." Marik gleefully shook Yugi's hand. "Who would have thought that itty bitty head of yours contained a brain? I thought it was all hair!"

"Why you!" Joey snarled at Marik.

"Ah, ah, ah!" The Egyptian playfully wagged a finger at the frothing teen. "That's no way to treat your guide to the wonderful world of shades of black and white and gray!"

"Shades?" Ryou parroted slowly. He paled when he realized what the other teen meant. "You can't possibly mean - ?"

Seto stated Ryou's question. "Shadow Realm."

"Give the genius a prize, but wait! I am already giving you one." Marik flicked a finger. "And off you go!" He laughed unpleasantly as the room was emptied of its inhabitants. With a flip of his cloak, he disappeared as well.

***

"Are you alright, Serenity?" Joey solicitously asked the waking teen.

"Aaah, what happened?" Serenity blearily asked. She shook her head to clear it.

"The Shadow Realm." Ryou bravely replied but his pale complexion stood out even more in the darkness surrounding them.

"So this is the Shadow Realm." Seto remarked to himself as he tried to peer through the unending darkness.

"Now what?" Tristan practically asked.

Yami spoke up. "This way." 

The rest readily followed him.

"How do you know which way to go?" Mai casually asked as they walked through the nebulous darkness.

"A feeling." Yami coolly tossed back.

"Give the little ex-pharaoh a prize!" Marik popped up like the Cheshire Cat.

Serenity yelped in surprise.

"Calm down, Serenity." Tristan laid a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Ah. I'm fine. Sorry about that." Serenity bowed her head.

A thousand-watt smile lit up Marik's face. "Aw, did I supwise the littwle gwirl. Mawik, soo sworry." He cooed at the girl sarcastically.

Joey lunged at the platinum blonde. "Leave my sister alone, you sicko!"

Marik easily sidestepped the other boy. A knowing look crept into his eyes. "Tch! Three years in limbo and you still don't have a sense of humor, Joey. You're such a pathetic mutt."

Joey grabbed the boy's front. "Why you!"

Tristan held the angry teen back. "Woah, Joey. We need some info first. Then you can tear the bastard apart."

"So sorry to tell you, but I can produce the papers proving my legitimacy." Marik smirked.

"Cut the crap and lead us as you said you will, GUIDE." Yami curtly ordered the platinum blonde.

"As you wish." Marik subserviently bowed but there a mocking smile was emblazoned on his dark face.

                In an instant the darkness vanished in a flash of light. The disoriented teens blinked at the sudden change. When they opened their eyes, they were on a seaside.

                "Huh? What's going on here?" Mai asked confusedly.

                The sound of the crashing waves was as soothing as the loud sqwacks of the seagulls. The salty scent of the ocean filled their nostrils. A bright blue sky, free of clouds, hang over their head. The sun shone brightly upon the water's surface and warmed the golden sand.

                Ryou looked around. "I guess, we're still in the shadow realm, but it's strange..."

                "What isn't?" Joey sarcastically asked. "Everything's been downright weirdo since THAT day!"

                "Yeah, nothing's been really normal ever since." Tristan readily seconded the blonde's pessimistic view.

                "No," Yami interrupted. "Ryou's on to something here. Go on, Ryou."

                Ryou threw a shy but grateful look his way. "What I mean to say is that the Shadow Realm exerts some sort of pressure on people. Anyone who enters it could usually feel SOMETHING as soon as they enter it."

                "And yet the only thing that I feel is this gritty sand and the sun beating down on us." Mai remarked offhandedly.

                "Precisely." Yami stated. "That means…"

                "That you are all deluded." Marik chirped.

                "You again! Here I thought we finally got rid of you!" Joey barked at the guy who had been messing him up since the entire plight started.

                Marik theatrically let his mouth drop in seeming surprise. "Think? You? How extraordinary indeed!"

                "I've had enough of this!" Mai cried out in exasperation. "Could you please act maturely?!"

                "You girls ruin all the fun." Marik whined but a strange glimmer was in his eyes. "Very well. This way please, oh honored guests!"

                He led them to the sea.

                "Well, this clicks it." Tristan solemnly stated.

                Joey gave him a moped look. "Clicks that we're not in Kansas anymore?"

                "Who would have thought that it would Toto who would say that line." Seto's silence had ended. The Wizard of Oz reference was too delicious a tidbit to let pass for the teen.

                The blonde just rolled his eyes. "I'm not biting, Kaiba."

                "A phenomena indeed." Seto downplayed his remark however. Speaking up, he regarded the rest of the group who were all walking over the water… just like him. "So where are you leading us, Jesus?" He mockingly asked the Egyptian in front of the group.

                "Don't worry, DISCIPLE." He flashed them a thousand-watt smile. "YOU'RE here!" He disappeared.

                The rest didn't really even notice that startling event anymore. Their entire attention was focused on the mindboggling scene before them. Tea's kidnapper was none other than her bodyguard… and Mokuba had just fell him.

                AM's eyes were filled with tears. "Mokuba?"

                "Mom, it's over." The boy softly spoke. He dropped the gun he was holding.

                "Tea!" Yugi cried out in relief. He had mind shifted with Yami in an instant.

                "Yugi! Everyone!" AM happily exclaimed at seeing them. Sidestepping the body easily, she ran to them.

                "Enough!" Mokuba cried out. He stood between the puzzled AM and the others.

                "Mokuba?" AM's voice was filled with confusion. "Whatever's the matter?"

                Tears gathered in the teen's eyes. "Stop playing with us. They're all dead."  
  


                "Mokuba…" AM comfortingly lay a hand down on Mokuba's shoulder. "But they're right here, Mokuba. Right now, they are here."

                "No, you don't understand." Mokuba spoke with conviction. "I've seen the bodies."

                "What do you mean?" Seto demanded. "Do you want proof of who we really are? It's staring at you right on the face, brother!"

                "NO, you're not my brother!" Anger rang in Mokuba's voice. "He died three years ago and the bodies were all..."

                "Were all what, Mokuba? What bodies are you talking about? They are right in front of us!" AM flung a hand out to the gang. "They escaped death! Why can't you be happy about that?"

                "Because even if they are time travelers, they aren't MY brother or Yugi or…" Mokuba broke down.

                Seto knelt in front of his little brother. "Why can't you accept the evidence of our survival?"

                "Because," Mokuba looked up to face Seto eye-to-eye. "I discovered a year ago your broken bodies that father hid from us. There was no mistake." A memory of seeing the bodies floating in a liquid filled transparent tube came back to his mind. The bitter taste was back in his mouth. The horror and despair rushed out again. "The result of the tests was conclusive. My brother and Yugi-_tachi died in that crash years ago."_

                Yugi took a step back. An awful understanding dawned on him. His head ached.

"But, we are alive!" Serenity protested.

Seto paled. He too had an appalling premonition. "You can't possibly mean…"

Yugi looked at Tea and Mokuba in despair. "You're not OUR Tea and Mokuba?"

"Huh? Now, what's wrong with you, Yugi?" Tristan asked dully. He was tired. He was tired of all this.

                "It wasn't a time slip only." There was a finality in Ryou's voice.

                "Bingo! Give the albino a prize!" Marik cackled from above.

                "Marik! Enough! Just what is going on here?" Yami demanded. The former pharaoh had taken over his shocked partner's body.

                Marik snickered. "Tch, tch! I guess I better spell it out slowly then."

                "You…" It was Mokuba who spoke up. "You might be who you say you are, but who you are and who WE lost are different people."

                "WE slipped through reality as well." Seto answered.

                "WHAT?" Mai screeched. "How could that be?"

                "How could everything that happened to us be?" Ryou angrily said. 

                "The Shadow Realm." Yami darkly noted. "It's all because of the power of the Shadow Realm."

                "If the Shadow Realm had something to do with this mix-up, then the way back must also be through here."

                Marik whistled in admiration. "You're really good Seto Kaiba. You're a real alternate reality of our own dear Seto, right Mokuba-_chan_?"

                Mokuba threw a dark look at Marik. 

                AM gazed at them like a man dying of thirst. "Yugi… Joey…"

                Marik grinned in satisfaction. "Bye-bye, Yugi-_tachi_!"

                His toothpaste commercial teeth were the last thing that they saw.

_Tsuzuku…_


	9. Flash One Last Time

Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction! Ownership of Yu-gi-oh is disclaimed. ;P This fic is canon. -- False! ^-^;

A/N: Finally! I'm crying crocodile tears now.

***

Geometry of Errors

Chapter 9: Flash Eight Times

***

                "What happened?" Serenity asked in perplexity.

                "I… I don't know." Joey confessed numbly. "I don't know."

                 "You are in a hospital. You were lucky to survive the plane crash." An unfamiliar deep voice replied. An old man wearing a white coat flipped the page of the sheaf of papers he was holding. He smiled at them reassuringly. "I am Dr. Soma. Your cases were assigned to me, Mr. And Ms. Wheeler."

                 The young woman gave a shy smile. "Oh! Thank you for the care, doctor."

                Joey frowned. "But… what did happen?" He asked in a confused voice.

                A page rang out. "Dr. H. Soma to the E. R. Dr. H. Soma to the E. R., please." 

An eyebrow went up. "Excuse me. I'll be back soon." The doctor calmly stated as he walked out without another glace at his patients. The door closed behind the medical practitioner with a whoosh.

                "Plane crash…" Mai dazedly repeated the doctor's story.

                "What about our other friends?" Ryou looked about the wide wing hopefully.

                 "We are the only ones here." Tristan grimly replied.

                "Are we really back?" Serenity anxiously asked.

                Seto monotonously replied. "I confirmed it. It's just hours after the crash and…" He gazed at the horizon darkly.

                Yugi calmly looked out the window. "HE saved them. I'm sure of it."

                Tristan protested  "But what about-?" 

                Yugi looked at the variously bandaged teens. Peace radiated from his amethyst eyes. Without words, he reassured them. 

And they believed. After all, it was faith that brought them back to this world. It did not go unpaid. The door opened once more. A familiar figure stood between the open door. "Glad to see that you are awake, Yugi. Kaiba."

The group looked at the speaker expectantly. 

He smiled. "I believe I have something that belongs to you." He gestured behind him. 

A brunette and a black-haired kid anxiously peered from behind the tall man. "Yugi!" "Big brother!"

This was home.

It was the people to whom they go home to.

***

                An hour back, this same man who had a plait of silver falling down his back smiled amusedly at the sight of fluttering eyelashes. "I'm glad to see that you're waking up, Tea Gardner. Mokuba Kaiba."

                "Who…" Tea peered at the blurry figure lounging in the nearby chair.

                Mokuba blinked. He saw a fall of shining white. "I know you…"

                His shadow fell on them. "You were lucky I was nearby. I saw your fall."

                "Your voice is so familiar." Tea sleepily remarked.

                Mokuba frowned as he tried to organize his scattered wits. "You're…" 

                "Here I was just recuperating..."

                He stood in front of the glass. The fading light silhouetted him.

                "Pegasus." Tea softly breathed his name.

                "Maximillian Pegasus." Mokuba murmured in remembrance. 

                "Yes," He simply replied as he flipped back a long silver lock. "That is my name."

***

In another world, AM stared at miles of unrelenting blue. "What happened?"

                Marik hummed one of her songs under his breath. "Happened? Why nothing happened, AM-_sama!"_

                Mokuba glared at the teen that had once been his best friend. "Can't you ever cut the crap, Marik!"

                Marik waved his head in time with music that he alone heard. "What crap?"

                The door banged open.

                "AM!" Pegasus cried out. Worry and relief tinged in his voice. "You're alright!"

                "Max!" AM buried her head into the soft silky folds of his suit. "I… I'm alright…"

                He engulfed her in his arms. Incomprehensible with speed, he murmured his prayers of thanks to the powers above.

                Mokuba looked away from the couple. He gazed out the open window. There was no sign that a boy had even once irritatingly hummed in the open balcony. He muttered his words to the bright blue sky. "A slip of reality. Definite and not." 

                Yes. He had never killed. And certainly not the man that he had known and grown to trust as a brother. Not a man that went insane with love, lust and dark magic. No. He had never even seen those dark eyes hungrily gazing at his future mother's face. No. He hadn't seen a black-gloved finger trace the contours of her high cheek bones. No. He had not heard any confession of possessive longing. 

                Yes. That's right. THAT never happened at all. Why? He sighed his reply to the wind. "For it was all a dream …"

***

                In Egypt, the aforementioned platinum blonde threw a scrap of papyrus into the fire. It flared up, hungrily eating the dry paper.

                "Rest in peace, _onee-sama_. Your prophecy had come true."

                He smiled. It was a grim smile.

                "It turned out exactly as you've written."

                Sparks of ember flashed brightly for an instant.

                "So had your wish… The star-crossed lovers and the tragic brothers had met one last time."

                He looked at the star-filled night sky with longing.

                "I wish…" 

                A star fell.

***

                In the Shadow Realm, a boy and a girl sleep. Oblivious to the world beyond, they dreamed.

                A shadow placed a slender hand on the strange transparent barrier that held the body of the girl. Strands of chestnut brown hair flowed across her pale face. A jagged ivory edge poked out of the skin. Her arm was obviously shattered. 

"Poor girl, her injuries will never heal." 

Another figure stood beside the soft-spoken speaker. 

"They were too close."

"Still, to live as an illusion…"

"Mana made her choice."

"Because of her master." The figure before the brunette floating inside the transparent membrane like container slowly shook his head regretfully. "Tsk."

"Mahado gave up his life for HIM. Even his afterlife is just a continuation of his service to HIM."

"Will they ever wake up?"

"The right question is will THEY realize who THEY really are."

"Unfortunately, THEY wove too good."

"A difference that can't be perceived…"

"If you can't perceive it, is it not real too?"

"But THEY can. If THEY accept it, the spell will be broken."

"There's no one to tell THEM otherwise. Everyone thinks THEY are who THEY seem to be."

"Then, that is reality."

The creature of magic slid a lithe finger across the membrane shell. 

"Poor girl."

The other replied.

"Yes."

***

_OWARI… desu ka?_


End file.
